You Make Me Feel
by Rise of the Blossom
Summary: Now it was kind of hard to explain what they were. They weren't in a relationship and if anyone was to find out about them, they would be frowned upon. No, it wasn't all that strange for random shinobi to fall into bed together, but they were usually one night stands or secretive relationships. The man she was currently curled around, was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
1. Suspicious

**Non–Mass**

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**You Make Me Feel**

By: Helennnn

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**Chapter 1 – Suspicious**

"We're going to have to tell them all soon," Sakura panted, one of her hands clutching his hip, urging him to move them faster against hers. "They're already suspicious."

The dark haired man grunted and after a particularly hard thrust that had her body jerking backwards and a loud moan tearing from her lips, he replied, "That may be so, but there is no reason to inform them of… us."

Neither of them had any idea how to label what they were or their feelings for one another. Of course they cared for each other, as she had stitched him up and healed him whenever he appeared at her window, just returning from a mission and in need of a medic, and in return, he often helped her out when he spotted her in need of assistance. At first it had been simply innocent, she would heal him, he would help her, but then one night, after a particularly hard day, somehow, they had ended up tangled in her sheets, sweaty and writhing and pouring all of their aggression into their actions.

That had been eight months ago.

Now? Now it was kind of hard to explain what they were. They weren't in a relationship and if anyone was to find out about them, they would be frowned upon. No, it wasn't all that strange for random shinobi to fall into bed together, but they were usually one night stands or secretive relationships. The man she was currently curled around, clutching to desperately as though her life depended on it, was none other than the Uchiha clan heir, Itachi.

His father had never approved of her. She had seen the look in his eyes when she first met him, no matter how discreet that glance had been. Since that dinner where Sasuke introduced his team to his family, she had only been invited back there when Fugaku was not present. Apparently, he thought that she was 'unworthy'. To be fair, he had probably been sickened by her pathetic crush on his youngest son. A lot of people had been. Well, not exactly sickened, more like annoyed. Extremely annoyed. At one point, Sasuke had all but cornered her, demanding that she grow out of such a childish, obsessive crush.

It was when they both became chūnin that he finally apologised (in his own way), for treating her so badly. Apparently, by saying what he had, he had given her that push she so desperately needed and shoved her into learning under Tsunade, that had forced her to better herself. From not only their time as teammates, but also as friends, she had learned all that through a mere "hn". It wasn't the word (or whatever the hell it was), that told her. It was the smirk on his lips, the slightly softened look in his eyes. It was the way he had treated her to lunch and from then on took their spars seriously. She would never be able to repay Sasuke for that. It was because of him that she was who she had become.

Her release hit her like a tonne of bricks, slamming into her and Itachi felt his breath leave him as she came undone around him almost violently, leading to his own release. This woman… there were no words. Adjusting his hold on her, he slipped one of his arms around her thigh, lifting it higher up until he was gripping her hip tightly as he pushed her even harder against the wall, his hips snapping up into hers harshly. A shiver shook his body when Sakura pressed her face into the crook of his neck, her breathing harsh as she tried to silence herself.

Damn it. He always affected her like this, but Sakura knew it was the same for him, too.

After all, if it hadn't been, Itachi wouldn't keep coming back, would he? Instead of keeping it as a one night stand like so many other shinobi did (or the rare 'one week stand'), he came back a couple of days later. It started with an unnecessary healing session (did he really need to use a couple of broken knuckles as an excuse to see her?) and ended with their clothes laying on the ground as they moved as one wantonly beneath her sheets.

And it went from there. No, Itachi didn't only come to her for sex, as there were moments where they would simply sit together and relax, but it was always away from the public eye. Outside, nothing more would be exchanged than a polite "hello" and smile. At first, it hadn't bothered her too much, as since her crush on Sasuke, Sakura had learned to protect her heart a little better, not wanting to be hurt in such a way again, but lately… She didn't even know. Having Itachi more or less ignore her when they passed each other in the street hurt her. Him only giving her a small smile and pathetic "hello" in front of others, hurt her. It was like he was ashamed of her, or embarrassed to let people know what happened when they were alone.

At that moment in time, however, she was stunned by the sight of him, watching his shaking arms still holding her, his pants for breath in her ear, and when he pulled back, Sakura saw that his eyes were warmer than usual and his hair and forehead were a little damp with sweat (just like hers). He wasn't as cold. There was a small smile playing along his lips as he gently kissed her.

Sakura wasn't an idiot. She knew that she had feelings for Uchiha Itachi, but they didn't just suddenly appear when they started having sex. It had been a while before that, when he first appeared at her window for her medical assistance. According to him, a member on his squad had recommended her to him (he never let them know that he actually took their advice, however, as it wouldn't be very good of an ANBU captain to avoid the hospital, putting his health at risk). It was simple, friendly feelings as first (though she could never deny that he was beautiful), but as time went on and they spoke more often, Sakura found herself beginning to like him. Now? She inwardly sighed.

"Who?" Itachi asked quietly after a couple of moments when they had caught their breath.

Frowning in confusion as he set her down on her feet, Sakura glanced up at him. "What?"

"You said that somebody was suspicious."

"Oh," she said softly, quickly fixing her outfit whilst he did the same in a less hurried manner. "Kakashi–sensei, I think. He gave me a pretty strange look the other morning when he came by here and I know it's because he can tell that I hadn't been alone that night."

Itachi nodded once in agreement. "He has a strong sense of smell."

"Yeah…"

Knowing that she was withholding information, he sighed. "Who else?"

"Ino."

Great. The biggest gossiper in Konoha. "Surely she is not suspicious about _us_."

"No, not _us_, but she keeps commenting on the little things."

"Such as?"

A small smile pulled at her lips as Sakura pushed her hair behind her ear. "Well, for example, the other week before you left for your mission, you made me breakfast. Ino came by that morning while I was still asleep and asked who made it for me."

"Your teammates have never done such a thing for you?"

"Team Seven? Make me breakfast? _Please_. Itachi, all Naruto can do without burning down the kitchen is heat up cup ramen. Sasuke… I'll admit, he's not that bad of a cook, but he wouldn't go through the trouble unless I was sick and Kakashi–sensei is, well, _Kakashi–sensei_."

She was surprised by a hand gently cupping her face, tilting it upwards and when Sakura looked up, she was greeted by the sight of Itachi's smiling face. "Do not worry so much, Sakura. Allow them to make their assumptions and if they guess correctly, then great. If not, then they'll eventually figure it out." Her surprise only grew as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I will be leaving tomorrow on a mission, so I need to prepare, but it should take no longer than three weeks, possibly four."

Gripping his arm, Sakura pulled him closer, standing on her tiptoes as she captured his lips a final time. For some reason, she enjoyed being much shorter than him. It made her feel dainty and so very feminine. "Be safe."

"Of course."

And with that, he disappeared out of her home without a trace.

That was why she continued whatever they were. Despite how differently he treated her when others were watching, it was the little things that told her he _did_ feel something for her. It was the way he would brush the hair out of her face when she was half asleep, the way he would leave her some breakfast (that obviously didn't need to be eaten warm), in the mornings. Sometimes, Itachi was content with simply sitting in her presence or holding her.

He didn't always leave so abruptly, either. It was true that he _did_ have to leave early in the morning for his mission. The only reason Sakura knew about that was because she was the Hokage's apprentice and being her apprentice brought certain perks. No, she didn't get to read highly classified documents such as ANBU missions, but she was aware when certain ANBU squads were sent out. She knew Itachi's ANBU codename, so it wasn't hard to figure out.

Itachi always came to see her before leaving for a mission. As shinobi, there were obviously risks and you never know what mission will be your last. Sakura had had many close encounters with _those_ kinds of missions. It was terrifying. It was like her entire life had flashed before her eyes and it wasn't the good things like so many claimed it would be. It was her regrets, the things she should have tried harder for, or done better at.

Running her hands down her outfit, Sakura took a deep breath and looked around her home. It had been her parents, but when they passed away, it had been left to her. Sometimes it was painful being there alone and it was because of that pain that she left their bedroom as it was, cleaning it every now and then so that dust didn't cover everything and ruin their belongings. Their deaths had broken her in so many ways and it was thanks to Tsunade that Sakura hadn't been lost to that grief like her Shishou once had.

She was currently in the living room and it was only then that Sakura realised how recklessly they had acted. Anybody could have seen them! Her friends had a horrific habit of entering through her windows for crying out loud and it wasn't only her former sensei who did such a thing. Sasuke had developed a habit of entering through windows and even Rock Lee had, too.

How had they even ended up in such a state? It wouldn't be the first time they had felt so needy, though it was certainly rare for Itachi to be so… _reckless_! There was simply no other word for their actions. Sakura could remember seeing him while she was wandering the streets, wondering what to do with her day since she had no hospital shifts and the rest of the team had been sent out without her – that didn't bother her. Sometimes, it was best to accept certain things. It was when she was passing by the tea shop that she saw him. Itachi had been sitting with another Uchiha who she knew to be called Shisui, although had never spoken to him in person.

There must have been a certain look on her face or in her eyes because Itachi had given her a discreet nod while Shisui wasn't looking. Not even ten minutes later, he was slamming her against the wall in her living room and tugging her skirt around her hips as she impatiently unbuttoned his pants.

Now that she thought about it, his actions weren't very Itachi–like at all. No, they were, but not entirely. Only when he was being sent on a deadly serious mission would he act so frantically.

It was hard to imagine him being anything other than perfect, but the prodigy of the Uchiha clan was emotionally retarded.

That was harsh. He wasn't emotionally retarded, it was just that… He had a much more difficult time wording his emotions, with sharing them. Don't get her wrong, there were so many times when he would easily tell her what he was feeling or what was burdening his mind, but other times, his actions were all he had to show her how he felt. Sakura blamed his father for that. Fugaku had pushed Itachi way, _way_ too hard. Even though he pushed Sasuke hard, it was nothing compared to how difficult Itachi had it.

Not always would he react in such a way to a mission, though. Sometimes Itachi would spend the entire night with her, holding her and just… spending as much time with her as possible, just in case something went wrong.

Unknown to others (including his own clan), Itachi often had nightmares. He wouldn't scream or cry out, but they would wake him up with such a jolt that it shook the bed, effectively waking her up, too. It was why Itachi was so against falling asleep in her bed, not wanting to disturb her sleep. Years of being in ANBU caused his nightmares, but Sakura realised that he wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with discussing them, not even to her. All Sakura knew was that at the tender age of four, instead of playing with his friends and being a normal child…

Itachi had made his first kill.

He had been sent to war.

And it broke her heart. Sakura could remember the day she found out and how hard she had cried, despite Itachi telling her that it wasn't necessary, that he didn't want her to cry. To that, she had given him a trembling smile and, through her tears, she told him, "_I'm crying _for_ you, because you won't cry for yourself_." Itachi had definitely been more comfortable in opening up to her then, realising that she wasn't judging him in the slightest, but Sakura could tell he was keeping the most damaging information, the most haunting memories, to himself.

Opening the window to let some fresh air into the room, Sakura sighed. Everybody was either busy or away on missions. Due to the Hokage's orders, she was on strict rest for a week, although was still on call at the hospital just in case. It was because of this that Team Seven had been sent out without her, much to their disliking. Even Sasuke hadn't seemed too pleased, mostly because she was the only one he allowed close enough to heal him. Kakashi was the same, although he didn't argue when Tsunade herself was healing him. Naruto… He genuinely didn't mind who was healing him. He got on with almost everyone. It was just who he was.

Before she did anything, Sakura knew that she would have to take a shower. Itachi's scent was all over her now as well as the smell of sex. You didn't have to be an Inuzuka or Kakashi to pick up on _that_.

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**A/N – Okay, this isn't going to be too long. Most likely only about five or six chapters.**

**Um… I don't think I have much else to say, really.**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE FIRST CHAPTER AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :–)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	2. Jealous

**Chapter 2 – Jealous**

Two weeks and four days had gone by since Itachi was sent away on yet another mission.

Sometimes, Sakura was close to demanding that her shishou give him a break. However, just as she reached the door, just as she barged in and opened her mouth to tell her, she would freeze in her place and stare down at the blonde, most likely looking like an idiot. Her mouth had been hanging open, her eyes a fraction wider than usual and all anger would leave her as though somebody had blown out a candle. Sakura just could not force herself to say the words "_Give Uchiha Itachi a break. He's human just like the rest of us._"

Their village depended on him way too much. Not only that, but Sakura knew that if she went through with that thought, if she actually yelled at her shishou to allow Itachi to have some time off, Tsunade would grow suspicious. No, she would get angry. Sakura could already hear what she would say now. "_You stupid girl! What the hell have you gotten yourself into_?"

Honestly? Sakura had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

What if they, one day, decided to let his clan know about them? Fugaku didn't like her. Mikoto didn't mind her but if her husband said that Sakura was no good, she would have no choice but to go with his decision. She was his wife and the Uchiha clan's matriarch. Only her sons got to see her soft, motherly side. If Mikoto truly believed that Sakura would not be beneficial to the clan and that Fugaku's decision was not biased due to his personal opinion, then she would have to accept it. Clan first, happiness second. That was how it had always worked with their clan.

Still, Sakura wished more than anything that Itachi could rest longer than a couple of days before being sent out again. The stress was too much and it was going to make him seriously ill one day. That was one thing Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to stand seeing. Itachi sick due to stress. Stress could cause so many illnesses or diseases – he could have a heart attack!

Shaking her head, Sakura forced those thoughts from her mind. It would do no good thinking about such a thing. It would only increase her worry.

She didn't know about how he felt when _she_ was the one on a mission, but Sakura always worried about Itachi when he was sent on one. How could she not? His were always, _always_, s–classed missions. Highly dangerous, secretive ANBU missions. If he came back to her half–dead, Sakura wasn't even allowed to ask how he got injured. All she could ask about was the weapons or jutsu that had caused his injuries and even then, he could give her no more than an extremely vague answer. That always managed to piss her off, but it wasn't Itachi's fault. He was ANBU. That was just how it worked.

People often believed that because of her being the Godaime Hokage's apprentice, Sakura got to know who was in ANBU, who was sent on what mission and other classified information such as that, but they couldn't be more wrong. Sure, Sakura knew what ANBU teams were sent out, but she knew nothing of their missions. She knew Itachi's codename (it was Crow, which suited him well in her opinion), but that was only because she had asked him about it one time. It was okay for him to tell her his codename, but nothing more than that. Not even Shizune could know everything about ANBU missions.

Sasuke wanted to make it to ANBU, though at the moment, he was jōnin just like she was. Their third teammate, the blond idiot who wanted to become Hokage, had only just made it to chūnin because of travelling the world and training with Jiraiya. Whilst he was away, the rest of them had been gaining experience and taking the exams. Like Neji, Sasuke made it to jōnin fairly quickly, much to Naruto's annoyance. Everybody else in Konoha Twelve had made it to chūnin except for Naruto and what made it even worse for him, was discovering that Gaara had become Kazekage, but instead of being upset, it had pushed him harder, made him more determined to become Hokage. He was genuinely happy for Gaara.

Was it wrong that Sakura hoped Sasuke didn't get into ANBU? That they sent him away? No. Itachi once said that he hoped for the same, as he wouldn't want his younger brother to lose himself. It wasn't hard to do, to lose yourself in ANBU. There were a few stories every now and then saying that Hatake Kakashi had been known as 'cold blooded Kakashi' or 'friend killer Kakashi'. It broke Sakura's heart hearing them, especially the latter. She didn't know much of her former sensei's past, but she knew enough to know that it had never been his fault. Luckily, the latter nickname was rarely used and she had only heard it once, but that didn't make it any better. Kakashi acted as though he never heard it, as though nobody had even said a word, but Sakura wasn't the only one to notice how his jaw clenched. Sasuke also noticed.

Grabbing her pillow, Sakura sighed and curled herself around it, very much like she would when Itachi was in its place. God she wished he was there. Even though he rarely slept in her bed, when he had no mission the next day, he often spent the night and after a quick romp when he returned from his mission, he would hold her as she slept.

She would have to try something to rid him of his nightmares. It just wasn't fair that he never got any peace, even in his sleep. However, Sakura knew there was little that could be done. It wasn't like she could erase all of his bad memories, as there were far too many and Itachi wouldn't appreciate having half of his memory wiped. He was the kind of person who _had_ to know everything. It wasn't that he wanted to, it was that he had to. Otherwise, it would annoy him for days until he remembered.

Sleep wasn't restful for Sakura and not even two hours after finally falling to sleep, there was a bang in her living room, causing her to jolt awake and reach for the kunai strapped underneath her bed. Having it under her pillow wasn't only predictable, but it was also dangerous for a sleeper such as herself. She enjoyed moving around the bed too much and would no doubt end up cutting herself by accident.

Listening intently, Sakura narrowed her eyes. She knew for a fact that it wasn't Itachi – he was silent when entering her home, not wanting to wake her if she had fallen asleep. So if it wasn't somebody attempting to attack her or rob her (not that anybody in the village would ever dare to do such a thing unless they wanted to have a hole punched through their chest), it had to be either Ino or her teammates.

"Sakura."

Yeah, it was the latter.

Growling with annoyance at the voice behind her bedroom door, she threw back the covers and stood up.

"Hurry up, Sakura–chan!" a more alarmed voice yelled. "It's an emergency!"

Not even grabbing a pair of shorts, she darted out of her room, looking at the sight before her with wide eyes. Everything that had once been laying on her dining table was thrown to the ground (most likely the loud bang she had heard only minutes ago) and on the table lay an unconscious Kakashi. In the seat next to the table sat a heavily bleeding Sasuke, who looked rather drowsy although he was trying his best to hide it and pacing around the living room anxiously, was Naruto. The moment he spotted her, he grabbed her hand, dragging her over to the two.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded, examining Kakashi with obvious worry. Once she was done examining him, she hurried to one of her drawers, searching through it and after finding what she was looking for, Sakura returned to the table.

"Ambush," Sasuke grunted, accepting the blood replenishing pill she handed to him. "We were returning from the mission and everything had gone fine until somebody recognised Kakashi from the bingo book." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as the overwhelming dizziness he had once felt due to blood loss began to fade. "I don't think they recognised Naruto or myself until they actually approached us – they'd been following us for about seven or eight miles until they attacked."

Nodding once, Sakura gently turned Kakashi until he was laying on his stomach, turning his head to the side so that he would be able to breathe. There was a large, gaping slash right across his back which was pouring blood, making her bite her lip worriedly. From what she could tell, though, the shinobi who had attacked hadn't hit his spinal chord or any vital organs, even though it was pretty deep.

"You guys really need to start going to the hospital instead of here," she chided, summoning her chakra and beginning to heal the man on her table. "I don't have the correct equipment here and even though it's clean, it's hardly a sterile environment."

"Uh… Guys?" Naruto's voice was oddly quiet, like he was nervous.

"Save the lecture for later, Sakura." Sasuke rolled his eyes, ignoring the blond as he tightened his hold on his shoulder.

"Is that any way to speak to a medic who is about to heal your wounds?" a flat, cold voice spoke up, sounding more like a statement than a question. The sound of the voice had them all tensing and Sasuke's eyes went wide. "Or your teammate, for that matter?"

Due to how busy she was, Sakura knew she couldn't look up at the ANBU operative now standing in the centre of her living room, no matter how badly she wanted to. She could feel his eyes on her, though. She had always been able to tell when his eyes were on her. "I'll be with you in a moment, ANBU–san. Please, take a seat at the table and if you're bleeding, try your best not to get blood everywhere." It was a bitch to get out of the fabric of her sofa. Luckily, she had wooden flooring. "Do you have to be out of here by a certain time to get back to the Hokage or your mission?"

"Yes," he answered vaguely as the ANBU operative sat down across from Sasuke. Sakura could tell that his eyes didn't leave her for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto demanded after a moment of tense silence. Like Sasuke, his eyes were locked on the porcelain mask. "This isn't A&amp;E, you know!"

"Then why are you here instead of the hospital?"

"Because like you said: Sakura's our teammate," Sasuke replied coolly, his eyes narrowing.

Sighing, Sakura shook her head. "Please excuse those two, ANBU–san and I'll be with you as soon as I can. Sasuke, Naruto, I won't heal you and will force you to go to the hospital if you continue to act so childishly. You both know that I have jōnin and ANBU coming in and out of here."

The Uchiha scoffed, sitting back in his seat. "That's because you don't know how to say 'no'."

It surprised her when Naruto agreed with him, coming to her side with a worried expression. "You need to sleep, Sakura–chan! You're going to make yourself sick."

Once again, Sakura sighed but smiled to herself as she finished closing up the gash on Kakashi's back. Due to how deep it had been, there would be a faint scar left behind, but she knew he wouldn't care about that. In fact, if Kakashi was awake, he would have told her to save as much chakra as possible to heal the others, even if it meant his wound was not one hundred percent healed. Scars meant nothing to him. His body was already littered with them.

Using a cloth Naruto handed to her after being asked to, Sakura completely removed Kakashi's shirt and the others averted their eyes (Naruto did so reluctantly) as she swapped his usual mask for one she used whilst in the hospital, before she began to gently clean his upper body. Once done, using her chakra, she lifted and carried him over to the sofa, knowing that he would rather wake up there than on her table. It had happened before. Many times, in fact.

Naruto chuckled. "It's always strange seeing you carry grown men like they're nothing."

Ignoring his comment, for she knew that if she said anything, Naruto would add something along the lines of 'freaky, monstrous strength', Sakura glanced up at him the moment she got to healing Sasuke. "How badly are you injured, Naruto?"

"Not bad." He eyed the ANBU operative for a moment until he sighed, turning back to her. "You know that I've always healed more quickly than others."

The Kyuubi. Right. Fortunately for Naruto, whenever there was serious damage to his body (or any injury at all), the Kyuubi would heal him automatically, but it always came at a price. The more quickly he was healed meant the more control the beast had over Naruto. Not always, of course, but quite a lot of the time. Like minor wounds, such as a simple scratch, didn't count. Sakura meant more like broken bones, stab wounds or serious injuries. The more deadly or serious the injury was, if it healed quickly, it meant the Kyuubi was about to take advantage of Naruto's weakened state. It had been Sasuke who made that observation.

The blond seemed to notice the look in her eyes as he paused, giving her a small smile. "He didn't."

She nodded once, smiling in return. "I'm glad. I don't like how badly you get hurt because of it, especially if I'm not there to heal you."

With that, she focused more on Sasuke's wounds. They didn't appear to be as severe as Kakashi's. Whereas Kakashi had a deep gash in his back as well as bruising, Sasuke had a dislocated shoulder and was bleeding from his side.

"Take your shirt off," she ordered and once he had, she growled with anger. "Why didn't you tell me that this is serious?"

As she had been expecting, Sasuke scowled and looked away.

"Idiot," Sakura continued to growl as she once again summoned her healing chakra. "This is just as serious as Kakashi–sensei's injury!"

"He's unconscious, though, Sakura–chan," Naruto argued with a frown, looking down at Sasuke. "How can Sasuke's injuries be worse?"

"Kakashi–san is unconscious due to overusing his Sharingan," the ANBU operative answered for her, seeing how stressed Sakura was growing. It took everything in her not to relax like she usually would at his smooth, deep voice. "It is not hard to figure out as it is becoming quite frequent."

Naruto's frown deepened into a scowl. "Oi! That doesn't make him any less of a shinobi. He'd still be able to kick your ass!"

Dark eyes snapped to blue and Sasuke glared warningly. Didn't he have any idea who the hell he was talking to? "Shut up, you idiot!"

"I never said that Kakashi–san was any less of a shinobi," the man stated, ignoring the younger Uchiha and sounding almost bored of their conversation. "I was merely stating facts. Haruno–san, it is true that Kakashi–san is often unconscious due to overusing his Sharingan, is it not?"

Feeling all eyes on her, Sakura's eyebrows knitted together and she kept her own eyes on Sasuke's injury, nodding. "Yeah. Obviously, Kakashi–sensei isn't the original owner of his Sharingan, so he can't deactivate it and it continuously drains his chakra, which leads to chakra depletion. Chakra depletion can be different for everyone, but there are three main symptoms: nausea, vomiting and passing out. Considering the fact that he not only has the Sharingan draining his chakra, but also his jutsu, it's not surprising that he's unconscious right now, especially if you really were just returning from a mission when you were ambushed."

"Ambushed?"

The ANBU operative's questioning tone made an expression that looked awfully like pouting appear on Sasuke's features. However, it was Naruto who replied as he threw himself into one of the chairs, seeming frustrated. "We don't know what village they were from 'cause they weren't wearing forehead protectors, but they were after Kakashi–sensei. Something about being in the bingo book."

"Bounty hunters." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

"I need to pop your shoulder back in." Sakura sighed and in response, the Uchiha also sighed and nodded once. The only sign of it being painful was the fact that his jaw clenched. "You already know what to do, right?"

It became obvious at that moment that Sakura was worn out. No surprise there. That was what a twelve hour shift at the hospital as well as two extra healing sessions did to a medic.

Sasuke nodded once, standing. "…Thank you."

"You can thank me tomorrow, just get out of here," Sakura smirked and then pointed over at her sofa, "and take him with you!"

Once again, Sasuke rolled his eyes, glancing down at the still–unconscious Kakashi. "Naruto, take him back to his apartment."

Certain medics were given permission to see ANBU operatives without their masks, but precautions had to be carried out first. The most obvious one being that nobody else was allowed to be in the room. It didn't matter if you knew the person who was in ANBU as rules were rules. Sure, Sasuke had seen his older brother in his uniform, but that was at their home when he was preparing to leave for a mission. Outside his home, Sasuke never saw Itachi wearing the ANBU uniform unless his mask was in place. It had been that way since he was around seven, maybe eight years old due to ANBU missions getting dirtier and more dangerous.

"Why can't you?" Naruto exclaimed, but picked their former sensei up anyway.

"Because his shoulder was dislocated!" Sakura answered for the Uchiha, noticing the faint tick in Sasuke's eyebrows indicating that he was annoyed. "Remember, no heavy lifting for about a week, but keep rotating your shoulder so that it doesn't get stiff."

"And do not try looking beneath his mask, Naruto–kun, for Kakashi–san will know," the ANBU added.

He nodded once (looking a little pale as he relived the awful memory of the last time he tried to peep) and the moment the three were gone, she sighed and turned to face the now mask–less ANBU operative sat at her table.

"You're early." She smiled, making her way over to him. "You said that you wouldn't be back for three to four weeks. It's only been two! It was risky of you to come here while they were here, too."

Itachi couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips as he watched her cleaning her table of blood, spraying disinfectant on it and once again wiping it down. "The mission was completed early and I knew that they were here and that you were healing them. I simply used the excuse of needing you to heal me, too. Are you not glad to see me?"

There was a teasing edge to his tone and in response, her smile grew. As far as she knew, it was only her who he teased. Well, her and Sasuke, although that wasn't as often as he used to. "I don't know." She smirked, not missing the fraction that his eyes narrowed. "Now I'm going to have to tell Naruto that I can't go on that date with him. Damn it. I was so excited, too!"

He growled in response, grabbing her hips possessively and pulling her onto his lap. "Do not joke about such things, Sakura. Naruto–kun's crush on you is rather obvious – and annoying."

"Are you _jealous_?"

The tone of disbelief was not lost on him. "You are wearing nothing more than an oversized shirt and," Itachi paused for a moment, lifting the shirt, "underwear."

A fierce blush stained her cheeks. "I was sleeping and I need to do my laundry. These were the only clean things I could find after my shower!"

The shirt was one of Kakashi's old ones. One time when they had been on a mission, Sakura had had her belongings stolen (much to her anger and frustration), so he had given her his spare sweatshirt to borrow, only, when she tried to give him it back, Kakashi had shrugged and told her to keep it. He had plenty more. That she didn't doubt, as his sweatshirts and uniform were always being torn and shredded during fights. As for her underwear… Well, they weren't her nicest pair, but they were still kind of nice. Okay, they weren't sexy at all, but they were comfortable. Plain black boxer shorts.

"And you didn't have the time to put on some shorts?" he questioned as his hand trailed up and down her bare thigh.

The feeling had her biting her lip and shifting slightly, wanting to feel more of his touch. "Not really, no. They told me it was serious, an emergency." Sighing, she gave him an upset, yet annoyed look. "Itachi, they're my teammates." His hand paused and a second too late, Sakura realised she had said the wrong thing. "I'm comfortable around them and none of them are bothered by–"

"Naruto–kun has a crush on you and your history–"

"Please don't start an argument," she pleaded softly, closing her eyes and pressing her face into the crook of his neck. "I'm too tired."

They had never truly argued before, but there had been a few disagreements. Those disagreements could last for hours, sometimes even days, because of how stubborn and proud they both were.

He was silent.

Finally sitting back up, she gave him a serious look. "Need anything healing? Or do you need to go back to Tsunade–sama or your mission like you said you did?"

Itachi shook his head. He had only said it so that Sasuke wouldn't be suspicious if he didn't return home tonight. "No."

"Come on, then," she said tiredly, her voice soft once more as she stood up and took his hand, leading him to her bedroom. "We can still get a few hours of sleep."

* * *

**A/N - Wow. I actually got this done a lot quicker than I thought I would!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	3. Hurt

**Chapter 3 – Hurt**

The sudden jolt in her bed had Sakura's eyes snapping open, had her tensing as she leaned up on her elbows, until she realised what had happened, causing her to relax and look down at the dark haired male underneath her. He looked so exhausted.

Itachi had returned not too long ago and due to how worn out they both were, after her team had left, they went straight to bed. Usually he did not fall asleep when at her home, settling on simply holding her peacefully and meditating whilst she slept, but it seemed he had fallen asleep. It didn't surprise her in the least because even the great Uchiha Itachi had to take a break sometimes.

"Forgive me, Sakura." Itachi sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I did not mean to wake you."

She shook her head softly and once he lowered his hand, she stroked his cheek. "It's okay–"

"I am not a child to be coddled."

His voice was serious, flat and so was the look he was giving her, but it didn't worry her in the least (not like it would have done eight months ago). "I know, but you're still human. No matter what your clan or the village believes, you're human like the rest of us."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he nodded, allowing her to fuss over him.

"What happened?" she asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

Sakura could never deny that the first time she saw Itachi in such a way, she had been stunned. His eyes were a fraction wider than usual and his breathing as well as his heartbeat was slightly quicker than they usually were, indicating his fright quite easily. The only reason she could tell, however, was because of how quiet it was in her room and also due to how close they were.

Honestly, Sakura felt honoured to see Itachi in such a way. Right at that moment in time, he was no longer Uchiha Itachi, prodigy and heir of his clan. Right now, he was a twenty–three year old man who was suffering with vicious nightmares because of the horrors he had seen and done.

"Nothing that I cannot handle," he told her in that gentle voice of his, his own hand lifting to caress her cheek, just like hers was doing to his. "I have already told you, Sakura, that you do not need to worry about me."

A small smile played along her lips. "That doesn't change the fact that I _do_ worry, or that I _am_ worrying. You're tired, Itachi. Not only physically, either." Itachi opened his mouth, but her hand slipped from his cheek to his lips, silencing him. "I'm a medic. I'm trained to see these kinds of things, remember?"

This time when it was her who had been about to continue, Sakura found herself stunned as Itachi gently swatted her hands away from his face, capturing her lips in a soft and tender kiss, a kiss that had her smiling against his lips. This was the Itachi she had come to know. The gentle one, the one who would hold her in his arms and make her feel as though she was untouchable. It was the feeling he was suddenly radiating as he rolled them over, taking her hands in his and pinning them above her head. He radiated peace and tranquillity. Itachi radiated a feeling of safety that not even Naruto could make her feel.

Raising her hips, Sakura allowed him to slip her underwear down her thighs, her breathing growing shallow as a familiar heat pooled within her stomach. She loved it when he made her feel this way, but what she loved even more was that after he undressed them both, his skin pressed up against hers, making her feel as though she was on fire. Her skin felt as though it was tingling deliciously, yet burning all at the same time. That feeling only amplified as he slipped inside her, drawing out a gasp from the kunoichi beneath him, one that sent shivers down his spine.

Rough and dirty sex with Itachi was great. No, it was mind–blowing. However, when he held her like he currently was, staring down at her with those beautiful, _beautiful_ eyes before kissing her with such affection… It was just so, _so_ much better. Itachi managed to make her feel things Sakura had never felt before and whilst it secretly terrified her because she wanted nothing more than to welcome those feelings with open arms, it also excited her. It gave her a rush, a thrill. It made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter, as though alive with butterflies.

He was making love to her. Just like she had always imagined the man she loved doing so.

With slow and deep thrusts, Itachi rocked within her, eliciting such sensual sounds of her pleasure that never failed to arouse him further.

If somebody had told him that he would one day be here, in the arms of a woman who was not only five years younger than himself, but also his little brother's teammate and friend, he may have uncharacteristically laughed in their face. It was just so unexpected and unbelievable. Actually, Itachi would have been in a state of shock. Him? And Haruno Sakura? Had he been drunk? It sounded so harsh, but that was honestly what he thought. They simply did not belong together.

Well, those were the thoughts he would have had long before he first slept with her. Or truly spoke with her. Not just a casual "how are you?" he meant a deep conversation, a personal one.

He didn't really have a type. Actually, now that Itachi really thought about it, he had never been with a woman – or man – for his own needs. It was always for the sake of a mission, or for the sake of the village. He knew how ridiculous that sounded. Twenty–three years old and yet he had never taken advantage of the fact he had a rather large fan club just waiting to hop straight into his bed. Even his brother took advantage of it and many rumours stemmed from that. Not about Sasuke, but about himself. They wondered if he was perhaps homosexual, or asexual and it annoyed him if he was being honest. So what if they didn't see a woman hanging off his arm? What right did it give them to assume such things?

Sakura was the first woman he had ever willingly slept with, or opened up to.

Some considered seduction missions as rape. Did he? Well, it was hard to say. Yes and no. Of course Itachi knew the difference between consensual sex and non–consensual sex. It wasn't too hard to figure out unless the one instigating such an act was mentally ill and incapable of telling the difference (although that was certainly no excuse). Rape meant you had no power, no control. It was against your will. You did not want that man or woman to touch you. But they accepted those missions, knowing what was about to happen, so was it really rape?

A sigh of pleasure escaped him as he quickened his pace, those thoughts being banished from his mind as Sakura moaned in his ear, her nails scraping over his spine lightly. When had he let go of her hand? Only one of them had been freed. Itachi didn't have much time to think about it because her walls were suddenly clamping down and fluttering around him and in response, he tightened his hold on her still pinned down hand and lowered himself fully against her, enjoying the feeling of her chest pushed up against his, both slick with sweat.

His free hand smoothed up her thigh, hiking it over his hip and immediately understanding what Itachi was silently saying, Sakura lifted her other leg and did the same, locking them together behind him. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip, tugging on it for a moment before she was kissing her way down his jaw. Not to be outdone, Itachi ran heated kisses along her throat, smirking when he heard her breathing hitch.

It didn't take much to bring her to orgasm and like always, Itachi found that he was emptying himself within her in response. That didn't bother him. It never did. He liked that her body and her reactions to his touches made him also give in to that pleasure. Pleasuring her, pleasured him.

After a couple of moments, which they spent attempting to catch their breath and Itachi was caressing her cheek softly, Sakura spoke up again, her voice quiet and curious. "Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"You never…" When he glanced down at her, thanks to the moon, Itachi could see that she was blushing. Whether it was from their previous act or the conversation they were about to have, he couldn't tell. He liked that about Sakura. She was unpredictable, therefore, she was never boring. "You know who I lost mine to, but… You don't have to answer or anything because I know that it's not exactly a normal topic to have after just having sex. I'm just curious."

That had been one of the first things he noticed about Sakura. Despite how so very dirty she could be during sex, there were still a few things that could make her blush or nervous. Talking about sex was one of those things. It always amused him seeing her glance down at the ground, a blush staining her cheeks whilst she fidgeted with something. Right now, she was twirling the ends of his hair around her finger, focusing entirely on her actions. Leaning more fully on just one of his elbows, Itachi's hand slipped away from her cheek, deciding to draw soothing patterns on her side instead.

Her question stunned him to say the least. She wanted to know who had taken his virginity? Why? But then again, Sakura always managed to surprise him with her words or actions. "It was for the sake of a mission. Like yours had been."

She bit her lip, nodding quickly.

Losing her virginity hadn't been what she thought it would be like. It hadn't been on her wedding night or with the man she loved with all her heart. It had been in a storage closet, it had been painful and it had been with none other than her former sensei. They had been sent on a mission together, posing as a married couple, but when they had almost gotten caught, they had to push everything aside and _act_ like a newly wedded couple would. Kakashi had never forgiven himself when he realised he was the one who had taken her virginity, no matter how much he tried to hide that certain look.

Of course Sakura had been upset for a while and Kakashi didn't blame her for it. She was a hopeless romantic at heart. However, despite everything being wrong while she lost her virginity (the wrong time, the wrong setting, the wrong man), Kakashi had been a real gentleman about it. No it didn't make her feel one hundred percent better, but it did help. After staying by her side so that she wouldn't wake up alone and treating her to breakfast, once they completed the mission and returned home, he gave her some space, some time to think alone.

Was it strange that, as far as she was aware of, the only people who knew of that mission were Tsunade and Itachi? The former knew because of their mission report, because she _had_ to know, but the latter… Sakura wasn't sure how he had figured it out, actually. It wasn't like she had just blurted it out randomly one day. No, Sakura was certain that he managed to piece it all together – Itachi was a genius, after all. The fact that he wasn't the one to take her virginity was the biggest clue, but what could have told him that it was with Kakashi? It had shocked him when he found out it was her own sensei who took her virginity (she couldn't blame him for that), but Itachi never judged her. He understood what it meant to give everything up for the sake of their village.

Like Itachi, this was her first time doing something for _her_. Not for a mission and not for the village. This was entirely selfish. Well, not entirely, as she enjoyed bringing Itachi pleasure and healing him and simply speaking to him and genuinely being there for him. After Kakashi had taken her virginity, Sakura hadn't really wanted to be with another man in such a way and Tsunade told her that it was completely normal for her to feel that way, as many other kunoichi and even male shinobi had and do feel that way, too.

"Itachi?"

Her voice was even quieter now and Itachi could tell by the look in her eyes that her next question was bothering her. "Yes?"

She bit her lip. "Does… Are we whores?"

Blinking once, twice, and then a third time, Itachi replayed her question in his mind several times. Whores. Well, that was certainly not a name he had ever been called before. Coldhearted? Yes. Aloof? Definitely. A bastard? Surprisingly, his younger brother had been the one to call him that when he turned nine years old (Itachi blamed a certain Uzumaki for that language because whilst they were not friends at that time, they still went to the Academy together). However, he had never been called a whore before.

But it made perfect sense. They had more or less sold their bodies for the sake of a mission, a mission they had then gone on to receive payment for.

Thinking of themselves – mostly Sakura – as whores, however, didn't sit well with him. It made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. "Of course not," Itachi told her after a moment of silence. "We do what we must to protect our village, our home."

"…But we're never one hundred percent willing." Hearing how it sounded, she quickly continued, "I'm not saying Kakashi–sensei raped me, because he didn't. I agreed for the sake of the mission, but I didn't enjoy it." Tears filled her eyes, making her look away and wipe at them furiously. "And what made it even worse was that he felt so bad for having to do that and I couldn't even tell him that I forgive him. The words… They just won't form."

"Do you blame him?"

She shook her head. "No. He told me that he wished it didn't have to… to be that way. We should have been more careful, you know? We should have… should have focused on the fact that more–"

"Calm down, Sakura," Itachi told her gently, brushing away her tears. "I am sure that Kakashi–san already knows that you have forgiven him. If not, then those words will one day reach him one way or another."

Really, Itachi was thinking that Sakura was so very lucky. It could have been a lot worse for her because of her exotic looks and her beauty. His own first time hadn't been with his sensei, a man (or woman) who was supposed to make you feel safe and protected. No doubt Kakashi had been as gentle as he could with her once he realised he had been taking her virginity. Itachi's first time had been nothing like that and the Sandaime Hokage never forgave himself for the state the Uchiha heir returned in.

That was mostly what his nightmares centred around. Like Sakura, Hatake Kakashi had been there, as had Yamato (otherwise known as Tenzo, back then). Many times, Kakashi had offered to take his place on that mission, saying that at thirteen years old, Itachi was much too young, but unfortunately for him, the target took a liking to the young Uchiha. Not even a mask–less Kakashi had been able to sway his decision.

He got his own back, in a way. But not even the small, sadistic part of himself enjoyed slaughtering the man, enjoyed slitting his throat and watching the light fade from his eyes as he bled out. Itachi had just felt so weak and numb. He had felt violated. Never before had Itachi felt that way and afterwards, he closed himself off much more fiercely. It wasn't unheard of that those within major clans would be sent on seduction missions, but the thirteen year old clan heir? His father would have been out for blood, as would his mother.

Nobody other than his first ANBU captain (Kakashi), Yamato and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew of that mission and Itachi would like it to remain that way. He didn't even want Sakura to know the horrifying details. She had a medic's heart and seeing anyone in pain or suffering brought her a great deal of pain. But when it was a child?

He had only been a child.

It was strange to think of himself as ever being a child, really, but that was what he had once been. A child.

"I'm sorry." She chuckled, the bitterness in her tone not going unnoticed. "This is hardly pillow talk, right?"

No, he supposed it wasn't, but how were they to know such things? Neither of them had any experience with intimate relationships. They knew how to fuck, seduce and more recently, they had learned how to make love. Itachi was aware that Sakura had been on one date before, but she had apparently been so uncomfortable with it that she had sworn off of dating altogether. A little extreme, but nobody could blame her. Well, he, Kakashi, Sasuke and Tsunade couldn't blame her. Itachi knew that his younger brother somehow knew of what happened and it was partly why he was so protective of Sakura.

Anyway, they knew nothing of what they were supposed to do and this felt like nothing they had read about in books or learned about in seduction classes. This was completely new to the both of them.

"You should never be afraid to speak your mind," he told her seriously, but a teasing tone entered his next words, "Although you should really do something about the randomness of your words."

"Oh?" Sakura smirked in return, her previous hurt washing away.

"Yes," Itachi murmured, his lips ghosting over hers. "You have horrible timing."

"You certainly know how to get a girl going, don't you?" She rolled her eyes, but his next actions and words had her gasping in surprise.

He grabbed her chin, crushing his lips to hers and once they parted, Itachi gave her a devilish smirk to go with the heated look in his eyes. "You know I do."

Always so arrogant.

However, even if he didn't suddenly flip her over onto her stomach and enter her with one, hard thrust, Sakura knew that he definitely could back up his words.

* * *

A month later and Itachi was standing before her with the most absurd, crazy idea she had ever heard. Due to her position at the hospital, Sakura had finally demanded that her shishou gave Itachi a much needed break. So for the past month he had been resting and it was like she could see the stress falling off him when she spotted him around the village, or at night when he came to her. Tsunade had been reluctant, telling Sakura that they _needed_ Itachi, to which she had replied, "_How can he help you when he collapses one day? What are you going to do when the stress of back–to–back missions and so very little rest, kills him?"_ It had pained her saying those things, but it was the truth and Sakura refused to let Itachi die.

Itachi had even told her "thank you". Of course it wasn't rare for him to say such things as he was always so very polite, but there had been genuine emotion in his words, in his eyes. He truly meant it.

Now he didn't look as haggard or worn out. A faint tan made his skin tone much healthier looking, the dark circles from around his eyes had started to fade and when he walked, he had the posture of somebody who was relaxed, at ease. There was nothing to be done about his tear–troughs, which had grown more pronounced due to stress, but that didn't matter to him, or to her.

Right now, Sakura was wondering if maybe all this relaxation had made him grow bored, because she was certain that he was mostly likely trying to cause the next Great Shinobi War.

"This is crazy," she stated slowly, giving him a serious look. "Itachi, what makes you think they'll accept me?"

He wanted to tell his parents about their relationship.

He had just admitted, in his own way, that they were in a relationship.

"My mother is already fond of you, Sakura."

Stepping forward, Sakura raised her hand and felt his forehead, earning her a displeased look. "You're not sick."

"Of course not."

"Your dad doesn't like me."

"He doesn't have to."

"But–"

"Sakura, the only reason he must know is because of the fact that I am clan heir. If I wasn't then I would not even be telling him." If he had been the type of person to do so, Itachi would have shrugged. Instead, he stared her down with a serious look. "He cannot control who I see. That is my choice." Not entirely true, as his father had to approve of the woman he decided on.

Slowly, unsurely, Sakura nodded, believing that whatever was making Itachi act so crazily, must be infectious. "And the villagers?"

He waved it off dismissively, walking over to her wardrobe and once he opened it, Itachi searched through the formal section of her clothing. "Leave them to figure it out by themselves. Considering what the gossip is like," He paused, lifting a red kimono with a white collar as well as white cherry blossom petals and inspecting it closely. Apparently, it was deemed as acceptable, since he took it out of the wardrobe and walked back over to her, "the fact that we will be close to one another quite often will not go unnoticed."

She stood up, sighing as she dressed down and allowed Itachi to dress her. It was strange having him do so, but he was much more formal than herself, so it was best to do as he said. At least that way she couldn't make a fool of herself appearance–wise. "Ino is going to flip if she's not the first to know."

Itachi smirked, tying the white obi around her waist and into a perfect bow at the back. "So will your teammates."

Groaning, Sakura turned to face him and he adjusted the collar of her kimono so that it was more respectful and not revealing any cleavage. He should have remembered to tell her to bind her breasts like she would for missions or training instead of wearing a bra, but Itachi had other things on his mind. Like how he was about to tell _his father_, that he had been in a sexual relationship with none other than Haruno Sakura for the past _nine months_ and how he planned on making it so much more than just a sexual relationship.

"Know that I cannot argue with him," Itachi told her seriously. "Not only is he my father, but he is also head of the clan. It will be disrespectful to him if I argue."

She already knew that. Sasuke had complained about it quite a few times, although she knew that deep down, he only wanted to please his father. "I know."

"Which means you cannot either."

This was going to be difficult. She could already tell. "I know."

"That includes threatening to attack him."

"I'm not Naruto, Itachi. I know better than to threaten a clan head."

He really hoped so, because his father would not hold back. After all, he had been made head of the clan for a reason. "Of course."

Fidgeting with the sleeves of her kimono, Sakura frowned. "Should we… Maybe put off telling your parents? You know, let them figure it out like the rest of the village?"

That was a horrible idea. Tempting, but horrible. Itachi couldn't blame her for it, though. She was not a member of a clan, she was from a civilian family and so Sakura wasn't aware of the rules upon rules, of the meetings and the propriety. Yes, she was polite and respectful to her elders and higher–ups, but she was not yet aware of how to act as a clan member. That was going to have to change, he knew that, however, Itachi was a patient man. He wouldn't mind teaching her those things if his mother couldn't.

"Come, Sakura."

Her stomach flipped.

* * *

It felt like the journey to the Uchiha District took forever. People stared at them as they walked through the village, wondering why the hell they were together and why Sakura was wearing a kimono. It wasn't strange to see her dressed so formally, but it was definitely rare. She usually only wore them to the annual festival, or to weddings. She just wasn't the kind of girl to dress up every day. She was certain they were all staring, though it was probably because of who was walking beside her. They weren't holding hands and to anyone else, it would look as though they weren't even friends. She was too nervous to speak and Itachi seemed to be giving her some time to get ready.

Even Shisui was shocked to see them together when they entered the Uchiha district and made their way straight to Itachi's home. In fact, he had almost dropped his food.

When they entered his home, it was silent.

"Tadaima," he called out as they removed their shoes, his voice cutting through the silence no matter how soft it was.

A moment later, another voice replied. This one was also masculine, but it wasn't gentle like Itachi's voice was. It was colder, harsher. "_Okaerinasai_."

Itachi sighed inaudibly.

Great. It was his father. Apparently his mother was not home, which would be why he could not sense her chakra.

"_Itachi_."

Sakura's hand lifted ever so slightly, like she was about to reach out and grab his hand, but thankfully she thought better of it. Showing weakness in front of his father was a very big mistake.

"Come," he murmured to her as he walked in the direction of his father's voice. If he was not mistaken, Fugaku was in the kitchen, most likely sat at the table, drinking tea.

As usual, Itachi found that he wasn't wrong.

Fugaku glanced up, his eyes narrowing a fraction when Sakura stepped into the room. "What is this, Itachi?"

It took everything in her not to snap at Fugaku. What? So she had to be respectful to him even though he wasn't to her? No. It shouldn't and wasn't supposed to work that way. You earned respect, in her eyes. Treat others how you want to be treated. "My name is Haruno Sakura."

Itachi's jaw unnoticeably clenched.

_Speak only when spoken to._

That was one of the rules in his home.

"Itachi."

"Haruno Sakura, father," he answered, ignoring Sakura's disbelieving look. "She is Sasuke's teammate and the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage."

Reminding him of that fact would stop him from blurting out any of his disliking towards the woman. It wasn't exactly a secret since Tsunade herself already knew Fugaku did not approve of her being Hokage, but he soon silenced himself when she gave him a place on her council, therefore bringing the Uchiha clan more into the village, making them get involved more whilst also making sure to keep all talks or plans of a coup d'état silent.

"I know who she is," Fugaku replied, folding his arms over his chest. "What I meant was: _why_ is she here?"

Damn. She had failed to remind him that despite frequently visiting the Uchiha home, it was never when Fugaku was around.

Instead of seeming unsure like Sakura currently was, Itachi spoke confidently, held himself tall as he did so. "I have brought Sakura here, Father, to tell you of my relationship with her."

Silence.

The sound of fists clenching and teeth gritting.

Sakura gulped.

Sasuke had once told her about how intimidating his father could be when angered, to which Sakura had laughed and wondered how the hell a man like Fugaku could be any more imposing than he already was. She had been wrong. He could be a hell of a lot more intimidating. Her heart was in her throat, her palms were sweating and it took everything in her not to start fidgeting at the angered look in Fugaku's eyes as he slowly stood up.

"I do not approve of your choice."

Her heart shattered.

It felt like somebody had savagely ripped it out of her chest.

"_Tadaima!"_

Her shattered heart picked up pathetically, hoping that Mikoto would help them out, would make Fugaku see sense, but as the woman entered the kitchen with somebody by her side…

"Itachi," Fugaku spoke, his voice much colder and more harsh than before. "This is the woman I have chosen for you to marry."

And now somebody was stomping on her already shattered heart. They were being animalistic with it, cutting the small pieces even smaller and being so very torturous whilst doing so. Now that she thought about it, that 'somebody' looked an awful lot like Uchiha Fugaku and there was a nasty sneer on his face whilst doing so, despite his features being blank as he stood before them.

"Sakura–san?" Mikoto called softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sasuke is not here, he's–"

"She's not here for him, Mikoto," Fugaku cut her off. "Itachi seemed to believe that I would accept a relationship between him and Haruno."

She seemed shocked, stunned. There was also a pained look in her eyes and Sakura could understand why it was there. She was the first woman Itachi had willingly took notice of, had opened up to her and now his father was telling him he could not be with her, that he had to marry some other woman.

And as Sakura looked up at the woman, she felt her heart aching even further – if that was even possible right now. She was beautiful and an Uchiha. Long dark hair framed her flawless, pale features and her equally dark eyes were framed with long, thick lashes. Even though she was wearing a kimono, it didn't drown her figure. If anything, it seemed to somehow emphasise it. How was that even possible? Sakura felt her confidence take a rather nasty blow, knocking it straight back down to what it had been when she was twelve years old, possibly even lower, back to when Ino had spent all that time trying to make her more confident in herself.

Right now, Sakura could feel every flaw she had. It was like they were suddenly glowing bright red with one of those sirens blaring loudly, pointing them out for everybody to see. And God there were _so fucking many_ of them that it made her feel sick. Despite filling out, it hadn't been by much as she was always and will always be petite. Her breasts were no larger than a b–cup, whereas this woman's had to be an e–cup. Her hips were slightly fuller than her breasts, whereas this woman had the perfect hour glass figure. She had a normal–sized forehead. Her features were perfect even without makeup.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek.

"Fugaku–"

"Do not question me, Mikoto," he once again cut her off, sending her a warning look. "I warned him that he was taking too long in making a decision and when he finally makes one, who does he bring here? A girl from a civilian family. She is not worthy to know our clan secrets, to carry the next heir. Like her, the heir will be weak."

Itachi could do nothing. He had warned her that it was not possible for him to argue, especially not with another Uchiha in the house. Word would get around that he was disobeying and then the rest of the clan would think of it as acceptable to disobey the head.

"Father." He kept his tone and voice smooth, like he wasn't affected in the least, but it was all a lie. He could feel Sakura's pain as she stood by his side, trying her best not to start crying. He knew how very little self–confidence she had and it was ruthless of his father to be tearing into her like that. "I am aware that I took too long, but I have been involved with Sakura for around nine months now. I simply wished to court her without things _having_ to lead to marriage. I wished to get to know her before any of that, without any expectations."

Sakura's stomach twisted violently. He wasn't even defending her.

"No," the older Uchiha argued, brushing off Itachi's words like they meant nothing. "I will not allow you to marry such a girl. The Sharingan will be tainted."

Nothing.

"The woman I have chosen for you also has the Sharingan and is in no way weak. She was raised to become the matriarch of our clan."

He was speaking about her as though _she was nothing_ and Itachi _wasn't even defending her_.

Itachi sent her a warning look as he began to feel the swell of anger from her, the murderous intent.

"Haruno is weak. I would not even allow her to marry Sasuke."

She snapped. She just couldn't help it. Speaking down to her was one thing, but speaking badly about Sasuke? No.

"Bastard," Sakura spat, completely ignoring the looks of shock that were sent her way. "How the hell can you stand there and speak about your own son in such a way? You're acting like Sasuke means nothing to you!" Itachi grabbed her arm, stopping her in her advance towards his father, but she broke out of it with the use of her chakra. "I can stand here and be silent as you treat me like I'm something you've stepped in. I can put up with that as I've had to for pretty much my entire life. But Sasuke is my teammate. He's my _friend_. You may be head of this clan, but I won't let anyone speak badly about my friends in such a way."

Fugaku scoffed, sending her a disgusted look. "I see you still hold those pathetic feelings for my youngest son, then."

Oh Gods, she was going to hit him. Her clenched fists were literally trembling with the need to do so. "If I felt that way about Sasuke, I would _not_ have been _sleeping with_ your eldest son for the past _nine months_!" The back of Itachi's neck burned but despite her own blush at screaming such a thing, she continued. "Stop acting like you're so much better than the rest of us! So what if you have the Sharingan? Half of your clan can't even activate it because of inbreeding! Half of your clan are suffering from mental illnesses as well as other disabilities because of inbreeding and it's mostly _your fault_ for refusing to change your clan's ways!"

She was practically in his face now, ignoring the great amount of murderous intent rolling off of him in waves. "If anything, _you're the one_ who is about to taint Itachi's children, your future clan heirs, by forcing him to marry this…" Her upper lip curled, "this _perfect_ woman." It wasn't said as a compliment. It was said as an insult, just like Kin had insulted Sakura on how soft her hair was back during the chūnin exams. This woman was just like her previous, superficial self, raised to be nothing other than perfect. And she had. So the woman said nothing in return. She merely stood there with an emotionless expression and it made Sakura feel sick. "So what if I'm not perfect like she is? Who gives a fuck about having the Sharingan!"

A smirk graced her lips, knowing exactly how to hit Fugaku where it hurts. "You want to know something, Uchiha–_sama_?" she spat, adding the '–sama' mockingly. "Even Hiashi–sama noticed this and he personally asked me if I would marry his nephew, the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. However, Neji–san stood up for himself and refused, saying he had already chosen the woman he wanted to marry." That sentence was directed more to Itachi than to Fugaku, but her eyes never left the latter's. "And Hiashi–sama _respected_ Neji–san's decision. He even respected Hinata's choice of wishing to marry Uzumaki Naruto."

The woman standing close to Mikoto smirked. It was the first time anyone had stood up to Fugaku in such a way and she couldn't even deny that she liked the girl's guts, even though it was going to be the reason why he was about to kill her. She had guts, but she was a fool, an idiot. She was throwing her life away and for what? So that she could prove a point? How stupid.

"Haruno," the woman spoke up, making Sakura bristle even further. "You are being disrespectful towards my soon–to–be father–in–law. If you do not leave, I will make you."

She went ignored, which had to be a greater insult than anything Sakura could have said.

"Tell me this, Uchiha–_sama_," Sakura spat, trying her best to force back her tears even though they were obvious to them all, "if it's true that I'm pathetic, then _who the hell_ keeps _your youngest son_ alive whilst away on missions, huh? So what if I'm not some freakishly powerful kunoichi? I'm a medic! I save lives, while you only take them."

"Sakura." Itachi had a warning in his voice.

Sakura ignored the now Sharingan red and black eyes of the clan head, staring him down defiantly. The adrenaline and scorching anger pumping through her veins shoved all fear away. "Activate your Sharingan all you want, but you know you can't hurt me." All Uchiha tensed. "I'm Tsunade–sama's apprentice and even though I don't like using that against people, she _will_ have your head if you harm me and that's if Naruto doesn't get to you first."

Fugaku opened his mouth, about to retort, but Sakura silenced him with her next sentence, "I'm done here and other than my teammate, I'm done with this clan."

Not even sparing Itachi or anyone else a glance, she left, slamming the door behind her so harshly that a crack went up the wall of the house, alarming the Uchiha who were outside and walking by.

* * *

**A/N - This chapter is for aria206. I hope you do well on your exam. Good luck!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited: 03/09/2016**


	4. Angry

**Chapter 4 – Angry**

Watching her go strangely felt like one of the hardest things Itachi had ever done. It honestly felt like she was tearing right through him on her way out. Was that even possible? Why the hell was his chest hurting so much?

It occurred to him right there and then, when his mother sent him a worried look, that he felt like doing something he hadn't in years.

He felt like crying.

He, Uchiha Itachi, the prodigy and heir of the Uchiha clan, felt like _crying_.

That just wasn't like him. At all.

Not only that, but he also felt an intense anger building within him. He felt such a strong hatred for the man standing a few feet away from him. It was sickening and made his stomach twist, how much Itachi suddenly wished to hit his own father. But not just his father. He also wanted to slam his own head against the nearest wall, for he had been just as bad.

That look of betrayal and hurt and pain in Sakura's tear filled eyes would not leave his mind. It was torturing him and Itachi knew he deserved that.

A scoff reached his attention, but only vaguely. With blank eyes, much emptier than what they would usually be, he glanced back up at his father.

"What was going through your mind to pursue such a girl?" Fugaku demanded with obvious disgust.

The only thing that greeted Fugaku was the sound of Itachi leaving the room and their home, but Mikoto didn't fail to notice the tension that had once again entered his body, the clenching of his jaw. Her son was in pain. So just as Fugaku was about to go after him, she spoke up, saying, "Leave him, Fugaku. Because of your words and actions, his first relationship is now over. Aren't you happy now? This past month Itachi has been the happiest I have _ever_ seen him in his entire life and don't forget that it was because of Sakura–san that he was given this break. You have just shattered that happiness. Itachi may be taking your insults silently now, but he will snap one day if you continue pushing him. That is a fact."

* * *

"It went badly, didn't it?"

Itachi didn't even glance at Shisui as the older Uchiha walked by his side. Really, he just wanted to be left alone right now. He didn't want to speak with anyone. "What gives you that impression?"

He shrugged as though he didn't care, but it was obvious that he was watching Itachi closely for a reaction. "The fact that I was almost run down by a crying Haruno Sakura. The Haruno Sakura, may I add, who looked as though she was ready to take on an entire army, despite the fact she was in tears." There was a reaction and for a moment, it left Shisui stunned. A pained look had flitted through Itachi's eyes. He was hurting. "You've fallen in love with her."

It wasn't a question and the softened voice of Shisui did little to calm him. "It does not matter."

"And why is that? Don't tell me you've given up already!" At the blank look on Itachi's face as he turned towards the training ground, Shisui had to hold back a groan of annoyance. "Itachi, Sakura–san is in pain. She's hurting. Whatever she said back there–"

"She wishes to have nothing to do with our clan," Itachi cut him off. "Other than Sasuke, of course."

Shisui couldn't help the disbelieving look on his face. He knew the younger Uchiha too well. "You didn't even stand up for her, did you?" He also couldn't help but shove Itachi. "For a genius, you sure are an idiot."

Itachi whirled around, blocking the punch that would have no doubt broken his nose. "This is none of your business, Shisui."

"None of my business?" he snapped, throwing another punch. "I make it my business when my idiot friend is making a big mistake. We've always had each other's backs, Itachi. That's how it has _always_ been for us. We'd die for each other, just like we'd die for our clan, for our village." Itachi was silent, blocking the blows that kept coming faster. "I can't believe you didn't even stand up for her! I bet she stood up for you, though, didn't she?"

By now, they had both activated their Sharingan to keep up with the other's movements.

"I bet she didn't even stand up for herself, either. I can tell by that look in your eye that I'm right, too. You just stood there and allowed your father to speak to her like she's nothing, didn't you?"

It surprised Itachi that this fact seemed to enrage Shisui and the former had to flip backwards to put more space between them.

Suddenly, however, Shisui stopped. "You don't even deserve a girl like Sakura–san."

"You know nothing of our relationship." He was surprised that his voice was still blank and calm, because on the inside, Itachi felt like he was about to snap.

"That may be true, but if it meant anything to you, you would have stood up for her. You would have defended her and stayed by her side, refusing to let your father speak down to her. That's how she's going to see it, too. I can't…" He shook his head. "I can't believe you. You're always so polite and respectful, yet just now, in front of your father, you showed her zero respect. You may as well have been the one saying all those things."

The younger Uchiha silently took the rant.

"You know that her team is going to be out for blood for this."

"Nobody knows–"

"You think they won't be able to tell? Itachi, Sakura–san is no longer thinking clearly. She's heartbroken. What's the first thing a girl does? They go to their best friend for advice and since Sasuke is your brother and Naruto–kun won't be of any help, she will go to Yamanaka Ino, who is known as the biggest gossiper in Konoha." He gave Itachi a blank look. "This will be all over the village by tomorrow morning, of that I'm sure. And then, once Sasuke and Naruto–kun, possibly even Kakashi–san, catch wind of this, you're going to have them coming for you, even if you are Sasuke's brother. She's their teammate, their friend. They will defend and protect her where you failed to. She may not have been physically harmed, but I know how deep your father's words can cut. I've seen what they do to you and your brother and _it makes me sick_ how you let him do the same to the woman you supposedly love."

When Itachi replied, it was not the strong, sure voice Shisui expected. He did not look proud and arrogant or cold and empty. He looked pained, upset. His voice was quiet.

"I didn't know what to do."

And all anger Shisui felt towards him vanished.

"…I still don't know what to do."

At that moment in time, Shisui realised how true it was. This was Itachi's first relationship. Of course he hadn't known what to do! He was torn between obeying his father, the clan head, like he always had done ever since he was a child, or defend his woman.

Sitting down, he patted the vacant spot beside him and after a moment of hesitation, Itachi also sat down.

"Tell me what you feel when you look at her."

It took a lot for Itachi not to grimace. "We are not teenage girls, Shisui. I am not having this conversation with you."

He rolled his eyes. "Just because we're men it doesn't mean we can't talk about these things. It'd surprise you how many do. Gemna–san's always talking about Shizune–san, for example. In fact, I think the only person who never speaks a word about his woman, is Shikamaru–kun, unless he is saying that she's troublesome." Seeing that Itachi still wasn't comfortable, Shisui sighed. "Look, I'm not going to laugh at you or judge you, even if you _do_ start to sound like a woman. I also won't repeat anything you say or hold it against you. We're completely alone out here and I flipped the sign saying that this training ground is in use on the way in. Nobody will overhear us."

"No."

"How can I give you advice on how to fix what you so stupidly broke, if you won't tell me anything?" No reply. He sighed. "Do you love her?"

There was silence until, "…Yes."

Shisui smiled, truly happy for his friend and then, he was more determined to fix the problem. "Then prove that to her."

"And how exactly do you propose I do that? The clan does not approve–"

"The clan? _I_ approve. I'm sure Sasuke will approve. Your mother definitely will." The look Shisui gave Itachi was a 'trust me' expression. "You won't believe how many people are against arranged marriages, Itachi. That's what your father is trying to force you into, right?" Itachi nodded. "Have you ever spoken to the woman?"

"No."

"Maybe she doesn't want this either. How do you know that this woman, or girl, isn't already in love with somebody else, like you are? You can't forget that she's involved in this, too. Wait, what's her name?" Once again, only silence greeted him and Shisui rubbed his eyes with annoyance. "You don't even know her name," he stated flatly. "I'm not surprised. You only met her today. I respect your father and everything, but he can be a real jerk at times. Springing this on you like–"

Itachi cut him off. "I was told six months ago that I had to find a bride. Before you ask, I have been involved with Sakura for over nine months now."

He frowned. "So why did you not ask her to marry you?"

Not for the first time, Itachi sighed as he leaned back and looked up at the sky, watching the birds as they flew around high above his head. "I knew that something like this would happen. Sakura is from a civilian family, so she does not know or understand how stressful being a member in a shinobi clan can be. Today was nothing. My father has said much worse to Sasuke on one of his good days." The sad part was that it was true. "How will Sakura feel when it is not only my father breathing down her neck and degrading her, but the elders, too?"

"Much worse than what she does right now," Shisui agreed. "But, if she is your wife, you can stand by her side and defend her. It will be your duty as her husband to do so. Honestly, you should have defended her today. I meant everything I've said so far, but I know how stressful all of this is for you. No matter what, I'll stand by you and respect your decision, but I honestly believe that you should be with Sakura–san, even if your father doesn't like her. He's not the one marrying her – you are. This is your choice."

This was why Itachi trusted Shisui so much. He always defended Itachi, always stood by his side and helped him out. They were best friends. No matter what the clan said about their heir, about how antisocial he was or anything of the sort, Shisui still stuck by him, refusing to let him face them all alone. Whenever he needed advice, Shisui was there. Always. He honestly didn't know what he would do without him.

"What should I do?"

Shisui seemed to think about it for a moment, also looking up at the blue sky, admiring the clouds and their shapes as he thought over his answer carefully. "I don't know Sakura–san the way you do," he answered slowly, thoughtfully, "but from what I have heard about her, she has a very nasty temper and can be incredibly violent." True. "When she's upset, instead of settling things with words, she uses her fists." Again, true. "But I have also heard that when deeply upset about something, or troubled, Sakura–san throws herself into her work, which could either be hospital shifts or missions."

Itachi already knew these things, so it didn't help much. "She once asked me to spar with her."

Tilting his head slightly so that he could glance at Itachi, Shisui raised an eyebrow.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. "I refused."

That was unusual. "Why is that?"

"Because I could not stand to think of all the ways I could win our match."

In other words, he couldn't stand to think of all the possible ways to kill her. Yes, sparring matches were not about killing each other, but it was still training. Whilst training with another, they point out all your weaknesses by going for them, forcing you to learn how to defend them properly. It might have helped Sakura out if Itachi had sparred with her, but Shisui couldn't blame him for refusing. Being a member of ANBU screwed with your mind. It was why he himself had never entered, choosing to stay as a jōnin instead. All of the things those in ANBU saw… Shisui wasn't even sure how Itachi was still sane. So much had happened to the younger Uchiha, some that Shisui knew Itachi would never actually say… Gods, it pained him. It killed him inside seeing his best friend suffer the way he had because of his power hungry father.

Unknown to Itachi, Shisui knew of his first seduction mission. He knew because he had been told to watch him by Mikoto, who had been worried about her eldest son. It wasn't difficult to pick up on the signs, no matter how perfect Itachi's mask supposedly was. No. His mask was not perfect. Nothing was perfect. Everything had a weakness and that had been one of the first things Shisui taught Itachi. There was a six year age difference between them, but the younger Uchiha's intelligence made it feel like it was only six days. That haunted look in his eyes made Shisui feel like he was the one who was younger, who was more innocent.

Itachi was a haunted man. Despite being physically well (as far as he was aware) he was emotionally exhausted, mentally scarred.

Being with Sakura was his friend's chance of happiness. For the first time in who knows how long, Itachi had the opportunity to be happy. Why would Fugaku deny him that? It was so wrong! It made his insides burn with anger. To him, Itachi was very much like a younger brother and like he had stated not too long ago, they looked out for each other and would give their lives to protect the other in a heart beat. It had always been that way.

Suddenly, an idea struck Shisui. "Itachi, I think I have an idea how to fix your foolish mistake!"

Itachi gave him a blank look. Was there really any need to keep repeating how stupid he had been?

"No seriously, you are going to want to hear this."

And as he leaned forward, lowering his voice _just in case_, Itachi's eyes widened.

"You cannot be serious."

The older Uchiha smirked. "Try it."

Just as they stood up and dusted off their clothes, however, the ground shook violently, almost throwing them off their feet.

"An earthquake?" Shisui looked around, startled as he had to throw his arms out to balance himself.

Itachi sighed and shook his head. "No. Sakura."

"At least you know where to find her now." Pointing in the direction the quake came from, he gave the younger Uchiha a nod of encouragement. "Good luck."

* * *

Trying to ignore the aching of her heart, the twisting of her stomach and the burning of her eyes, Sakura dropped to the ground, panting heavily and breaking up the sparring match that had just been about to begin. Three males all looked at her curiously, wondering what she was playing at interrupting them in such a way, whilst dressed–

"Why are you wearing a kimono?" Sasuke questioned, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Sakura–chan, we were just about to have an all–out sparring match!" Naruto exclaimed with wide eyes, eyes that only widened further as he also took in her state of dress. "You can't spar wearing that."

Her head snapped up, eyes narrowed and serious and it only took them all a few seconds to see her tears.

Naruto looked positively terrified, letting out a startled scream before speaking quickly, "_A–Ah!_ I don't mean you don't look beautiful, Sakura–chan! I just mean that–"

"Naruto, shut up," Kakashi snapped at him, a more serious edge to his voice. Something serious was bothering their teammate, but he knew better than to ask questions. She wouldn't want anyone, himself especially, to pry. Things had been uncomfortable ever since that mission where he had taken her virginity. He knew she didn't blame him, he could see it clearly in her eyes, but he could also see the sadness in them, too. That was something he would never forgive himself for. "You want to spar?"

She swallowed hard, just barely keeping back her sob. "Yeah."

Not a single one of them could stand to hear the whispered response, the hurt that was so very obvious in her voice.

And then Sakura was rushing forward, drawing back her fist, but Sasuke dodged easily, his Sharingan activated and filling her mind with images of his father, and then of Itachi. They didn't look all that similar but it was the dark hair, the Sharingan eyes. Taking a deep, calming breath, Sakura quickly jumped away, deciding that it probably wasn't the best idea that she took her anger out on Sasuke, for he didn't even know what had happened. If he had heard what his own father said about him, the harsh way he told Itachi "_I would not even allow her to marry Sasuke_", then Sasuke would be brooding right now, inwardly feeling torn apart yet again.

"Did something happen?" Naruto asked her curiously, just barely missing a punch to the face. "I haven't seen you wear something like this in a while."

Right now, Sakura wished that she wasn't wearing this stupid, horrible kimono. Before today, it had been her favourite one and Itachi knew that it was – he had bought it for her three months ago, but she had never had the occasion to wear it. Something that felt awfully like a whip lashed at her chest. It hurt just thinking of his name.

Was this what true heartbreak felt like?

Sasuke swept her legs out from underneath her, effectively ripping the air from her lungs. He had never really held back, using his speed against her. Then again, this was a sparring match. Training. She shouldn't have expected any less from him. Sasuke took anything related to training seriously.

"Is it an arranged marriage?"

There was nothing else he could think of. Formal kimono and an angry, upset Sakura. What else could have happened? It had been slightly similar when Hyuuga Hiashi tried to arrange for her to marry Neji. Being the traditional man that he was, the Hyuuga hadn't known how else to get Sakura to marry his nephew, didn't even think about simply _asking_. Thankfully Neji had stepped in, informing Hiashi that he would be marrying Tenten.

The look that suddenly flashed through Sakura's eyes as she shot to her feet had them all instinctively leaping backwards, just in time to miss the pieces of rock hurtling up into the air, trying to hit them, or as the ground was split open, attempting to swallow them whole. Her monstrous strength had always been terrifying, even Sasuke would admit that, but this was different. She was putting way more chakra into her blows and even now, the training grounds were still quaking. He wouldn't be surprised it Tsunade felt it from all the way in the Hokage Tower.

"Calm down, Sakura," Kakashi warned her. "This is a sparring match between friends, not–"

"No, it is not."

The voice stopped them all in their tracks, but had Sakura tensing more noticeably, had her fists clenching to the point of them trembling just like they had not too long ago.

"_Go away,_" she spat at Itachi as he dropped into the destroyed clearing, landing on a patch of grass that had luckily not been destroyed. "I said all I had to say to your father."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "My father?" he practically yelled, appearing beside Sakura as he roughly spun her to face him. "What did you do?"

At his growled demand, Sakura's upper lip curled. She wanted nothing more than to tell Sasuke what his precious father had said, but she couldn't. She couldn't hurt him. He was still her teammate and her friend. "I did and said nothing that wasn't–"

"Don't give me that shit!" Sasuke snarled, tightening his hold on her wrist. "_What have you done_?"

"Sasuke." Itachi's voice had the younger Uchiha stiffening, had the other two males watching him with narrowed eyes. "Let go of Sakura."

Slowly, reluctantly, he did so. "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Sakura and I have been romantically involved now for nine months." His voice was blank, eyes empty. His stance was completely relaxed and it _pissed her off_. Itachi didn't look any different than what he had not even half an hour ago! Not giving the three men time to digest the news, he continued, "I took her home to meet our parents."

"And your father doesn't approve," Sakura told Sasuke harshly, tears filling her eyes once more. "He said I'm weak, that I'll taint the Sharingan and produce weak children." Suddenly, her eyes were flashing once more as she whirled around to face Itachi, her kimono a second slower than herself. "_And you didn't even try to defend me!"_ she screamed at him. "You stood there and let your father talk down to me like I'm nothing but trash!"

Kakashi's eye widened. Naruto looked confused for a moment before rage settled on his face and Sasuke's features deadpanned. Sakura and Itachi? Nine months? How the hell could they have missed something so big? His teammate and his brother. Together. Just… _What_? And now his father knew too. Damn it! If Sasuke had known about them, despite it being weird and strange and abnormal, he would have warned them about the arranged marriage, about the woman his father had picked out. Why hadn't they at least told him? No, he wasn't completely okay with it, but he would have tried to help! This was his brother. His teammate. If anybody deserved happiness, it was them.

"What the hell am I to you, huh? Just a fuck buddy? Really? Are you telling me these past nine months meant absolutely nothing to you?"

No. No! _No!_

_That was not supposed to come from her mouth_, Naruto inwardly screamed. Sakura was nobody's fuck buddy! If she was in a relationship, she was in it because she was serious. That was how it had always been. It was why Naruto had always been so dramatic and loud in the exclamations of his love for her. Sakura adored being treated like she meant something, like she was special, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Whenever somebody treated her like she was important, like she mattered, a sparkle would fill her eyes, making them seem even brighter and because of his impeccable hearing, he always picked up on the quickening of her heartbeat, too.

Uchiha Itachi had disrespected her.

Naruto gritted his teeth, his stomach burning with anger.

"Go away!" her voice shook.

None of them, not a single one of them, had ever seen her so angry before. Usually when Sakura got angry, her voice got a lot louder and sounded more like a growl – extremely intimidating to guys like Naruto, guys who knew they were on the receiving end of such anger. However, right now, it was an octave higher and kept trembling, telling them all that she was crying, breaking down.

And Itachi stood there and continued to allow her to scream at him.

_Odd_, Kakashi thought.

"Just go away!" This time, her words were joined by the swinging of her fist, aiming straight for his face. His beautiful, _beautiful_ face that only made her heart ache further, knowing that he would never be hers.

He allowed her to hit him.

Itachi held back a grunt as the punch had him stumbling backwards and he ignored the bleeding of his now split lip.

"Go and be with your perfect fiancée!" It hurt her, but at the same time, it felt good hitting him.

Blood trickled from his nose and over his lips, but still he did not stop her.

"Be the _perfect_ clan heir your father _thinks_ you are!"

His right eye burned as her fist slammed into it and began throbbing almost unbearably.

Nobody knew what to do. They were all in a state of shock. Sasuke had never seen his brother take a beating before. _Never_. And to see him allowing Sakura to beat the shit out of him? He literally couldn't move or speak. He wanted to jump in between them, to block her from hurting his brother any further, but a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder, holding him in place. Sasuke didn't need to look behind him to know that it was Kakashi.

"I _hate_ you!"

Before her next blow could hit him, Itachi effortlessly caught her wrists and yanked her closer to him, staring down at her intensely. Sasuke could easily see the pain in his eyes. Being his brother, despite how closed off and antisocial Itachi was, taught him how to read his older brother. Sakura's words struck him a lot harder than her blows ever could.

"No," he murmured, tightening his hold on her wrists, "you don't."

In all honesty, her punches had been weakening with every blow and her tears began to fall faster, harder.

She shook her head, her body betraying her by sagging against him. "No, I don't," Sakura agreed quietly, not looking up at him. "But you need more than love to make a relationship work."

* * *

**A/N - I feel like Itachi was reeeeally OOC in this chapter, but I'm trying to get the point across that not everybody knows what to do. They all make mistakes. He said something like that in the manga/anime, when he defeated Kabuto and was saying goodbye to Sasuke for the last time.**

**Do you think Sakura has the right to be angry? Or do you think she's being unfair? Don't forget this is her first relationship, too. She's just as clueless as Itachi.**

**I had no idea that I would get so many reviews last chapter! 19? Wow. Thank you all so much! You really made my day. Last night I had this huge argument with my ex and his friend, because the latter refuses to leave things alone and keeps dragging up the past. She really is pathetic! But what made it even worse was that he's been telling her all the stuff I told him before. Private stuff that I've never told anybody else. Waking up to all those nice things you all said really made me feel better. Thanks.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	5. Disbelief

**Chapter 5 – Disbelief**

It had been over three months since that day in the training grounds.

Not much had happened since then. There had been times where Sakura had almost crumbled, where she had almost gone running to Itachi and begging him to fight for them.

She never got any further than her front door.

After telling him that there had to be more than love for a relationship to work, Sakura had then gone on to promise him that she wouldn't interfere in his relationship with his soon–to–be wife. Gods, just the thought of them being together in the way she and Itachi had been made her feel sick!

Some nights Sakura would have the most intense dreams, dreams that were so vivid that she felt as though they had actually happened. They were always memories, those dreams. Tonight, she had been dreaming of the time Itachi returned from an extended mission – neither of them knowing when or if he would ever be coming home again. Sakura could remember everything about that day. From the way he softly murmured "_tadaima_" in her ear the moment she had all but tackled him, her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely.

That day – and night – had been incredible. The only time they left her bedroom was to use the bathroom or to get a drink and some food. Even then it had only been basic food that took two minutes to heat up. Not their favourite and definitely not as good as a home cooked meal, but it certainly didn't force them to waste any more time than necessary and fuelled them with more energy to continue with their lovemaking. He lied to his family, telling them he wasn't home until the day after so that he could spend more time with her.

That particular day and night was burned into her memory because it was the first time Itachi had ever made love to her.

Of course they had slept together before, but that had been different. They had been fucking, but after his return from that highly dangerous mission, they made love.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she sat up in her bed.

Since that day in the training grounds, she had only allowed herself a day off to get everything out of her system before going straight to the Hokage Tower and demanding a mission. One without her team. A solo mission. It had been reckless and thoughtless and even Tsunade had been wary, assessing her for a while to try and see if Sakura was quite possibly suicidal, but no, she just had to get out of the village for a short while and the blonde understood her pain so well that it hurt, so she allowed Sakura to leave for a month, sending her to Suna to help out at their hospital.

However, she had demanded that the Kazekage kept his eye on her.

When he reported back to her once Sakura left to return home, Gaara had told her that she "needed medicine" and nothing more. Thoroughly confused and possibly even outraged that her apprentice had been ill and not told her about it, Tsunade had demanded that she be allowed to examine the girl herself.

But there was no illness.

And then it had hit Tsunade like a punch in the face. It was the understatement of the century, but Gaara had not had a good childhood. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it sooner! Sakura was heartbroken. Obviously not in the same way Gaara had been, but enough so that he could somewhat understand her pain. Her heart, whilst physically okay, hurt. There was no wound, no blood, but she was suffering.

Sakura never opened up to anyone about what happened and when her teammates continued to ask questions (mostly Naruto), she had simply grown used to ignoring them. Not to the point where she would act differently or avoid them, as she wanted so desperately for her life to get back to the way it had been, but she did act as though nobody had breathed a word if they asked her something about Itachi. Sakura assumed that Sasuke must have spoken with either his mother, father or Itachi, because he stopped asking questions not even a day after the break up.

Sometimes, she heard him speaking to Naruto about Itachi, complaining about him. Apparently Itachi was much more antisocial than ever before and also kept taking solo missions, doing whatever he could to _keep out of the village_. For a while Sakura had felt guilty. She didn't want him to feel unwelcome in his own home, but no, it wasn't because of her. It was because of his father. Also overheard from Sasuke was that Itachi made his disliking toward his father more obvious now. On the rare chance that he was home, it was as though Itachi would deliberately go out of his way to piss Fugaku off. From disobeying orders, to giving him a cold, unwavering yet minute glare, to ignoring him completely. It was the air he gave off. And Sakura herself had noticed the latter.

One time she had seen him in the streets, but he hadn't so much as glanced at her. Instead of his usual peace and calmness being radiated, it was instead emptiness, coldness. He was more distant than ever now, more unapproachable.

Of course Sakura already knew that she was not the only one suffering. She knew that Itachi would be hurting just as badly as she was. There was nothing Sakura wanted more than to be with him again, for them to run away together and sever all ties his clan held with him, however, that could never happen and it was selfish of her to even wish for such a thing to happen.

So instead of thinking about such things and torturing herself, Sakura had gone back to the hospital in between missions. She worked and worked and worked until she couldn't even think straight and had to be carried back to her home. She was always passed out before she even reached her bed.

Another thing was that in the past month, Sasuke had been keeping his distance. Not from the whole team, just her. If she was dragged out of the hospital for lunch, he was never there. During team missions, he would completely ignore her (like back when they were children) unless she needed help and if he needed healing, then he waited until he was back in Konoha to go to the hospital. Sakura wasn't sure how to take his change, but she wasn't the only one to notice.

Just the other day, Naruto had finally called him out on it during training. Kakashi had told him to leave it, as had Sakura, but he didn't. He had continued to glare at Sasuke angrily, demanding to know why he was treating Sakura so badly.

He had glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "_She broke Itachi's heart_." And his eyes only continued to narrow at the stunned silence that met him, the widening of her eyes. That had been something said to her about Itachi that she just couldn't ignore. "_Because of her, my family is being torn apart whilst I can do nothing but watch it happen. My father thinks I'm weaker than he already did and refuses to acknowledge me at all, my mother is torn between taking Itachi's side as his mother, or my father's as his wife. The stress is getting to her so badly that one night when I returned home after a mission, I saw her sitting at the kitchen table, _crying_. My own mother was distressed and in tears and I could think of _nothing_. I didn't know how to comfort her. And Itachi_?" He had scoffed then, his fists trembling with anger. "_Whenever he is home, between those ridiculously dangerous missions he's been taking ever since you broke up with him for something he couldn't even help, he's slowly been turning into a man I don't even know anymore. He doesn't speak to anyone. Not even Shisui or myself_."

That night, Sakura had allowed the dam holding back her tears down for a short while.

Not only had she lost the man she loved, but also her teammate, her friend.

"_I stood by and watched as my brother took a beating that he very well could have defended himself against. I will never forgive you for this, Sakura. I know you're in pain, but so is my family._"

Since that day four days ago, she had not seen Sasuke once.

Tapping on her glass balcony doors caught her attention and almost numbly, Sakura glanced over at them, sighing as she saw Kakashi standing there. Seeing that she had acknowledged him, he opened the doors and slipped into the dark room. He glanced over everything nonchalantly, taking in the stacks upon stacks of scrolls on her desk.

"You usually take much better care of your things, Sakura," he chided gently, his voice cutting through her otherwise silent room.

She did not answer him.

"You also would have organised them alphabetically, just like you did with my books–"

"What do you want, Kakashi–sensei? Do we have a mission?"

Sighing, he pulled out the chair at her desk and turned it around, straddling it as he sat down. A moment later his arms were folding on top of the backrest. "Sasuke came to see me earlier." Her head raised minutely, her eyebrow arching. Much more quietly, he told her, "He wishes to leave Team Seven."

It was like she was experiencing heartbreak all over again. Sasuke really hated her that much? What happened to the boy who had protected her for all these years?

Oh, right.

She had broken up his family.

"No," Sakura told him, her voice thick and strained. "Don't let him leave. Naruto… He'll never be able to handle it, his best friend leaving the team."

Kakashi frowned and after a moment, he removed his mask, the air feeling thick with tension. He didn't care about Sakura seeing what he looked like anymore, as she had seen his features many times before and he knew for a fact that she deserved at least some part of him after what he did and took from her. This was his complete trust. In return for taking her innocence, her purity, he had given her his full and unwavering trust. Not even Gai had seen underneath his mask.

"You're his friend, too, Sakura."

"Some friend I am." Kakashi opened his mouth, about to argue, but she cut him off. "Don't deny it. Everybody knows that his bond with Sasuke is more important."

How long had Sakura been feeling so down? Obviously, Kakashi had noticed over the past three months that she had been depressed, but not to this extent. It was like she had closed herself off. Her voice blank, her features exhausted. He didn't even think she was getting any proper sleep, if the rings around her eyes meant anything.

"You miss him."

She bit her lip harshly.

"Not just Itachi, either."

This time, she shook her head. "It feels like my life is falling to pieces and I can't do anything about it." On her thighs, her fists clenched tightly. "I feel like everybody has or is turning against me, like they all hate me."

He had never liked seeing his students in pain. No matter how old they got, no matter how long it had been since he was their sensei, that fact had never changed. "Sasuke doesn't hate you."

"Really," she said flatly, a disbelieving look on her face. "If that's true, then I'd _really_ hate to see what he's like when he hates somebody."

"Stop it," Kakashi finally snapped. If she was shocked by his sudden anger, however, Sakura did not show it. "You're allowing this break up to change you into somebody you're not."

She was on her feet in an instant, glaring down at Kakashi angrily. "Who the hell are _you_ to say that? What, after all this time, you're suddenly taking notice in me? Why am I–"

His arms wrapping around her silenced Sakura.

"Don't turn bitter with your sadness and anger, Sakura," Kakashi told her quietly, resting his cheek on the top of her head. She wasn't returning his embrace but the fact she wasn't pushing him away meant a lot. What the Copy–Nin didn't know, was that Sakura was trying to figure out just when the hell he got off the chair and stepped in front of her. "And don't push people away. You'll only regret it later on in life. Trust me."

Slowly, unsurely, her arms lifted, wrapping around his waist as she pressed her forehead against his chest. Kakashi was too tall for her to be eye level with him, just like… No. Sakura knew she had to stop doing that to herself, comparing everything and everyone to _him_. It simply wasn't fair for her do so. And when her arms were around him, holding Kakashi tightly, she felt him sigh, his chest expanding for a moment before he exhaled, causing his breath to wash over her. Kind of made her scalp tickle, it Sakura was being honest.

"There's no excuse for the way I ignored you, but… You reminded me too much of someone and with that similarity, came the torturous reminder of a promise I failed to keep." It certainly explained why Kakashi had always been so protective of her, going out of his way to keep her safe. "But don't ever think that I never gave a shit about you, Sakura. You're my student. I care about you just as much as I care about Naruto and Sasuke, possibly more so because you still somehow managed to shine so brightly while on a team with those two."

It hadn't been easy. Being on a team with an Uchiha genius and the Kyuubi vessel, having the infamous Copy–Nin as their sensei… It had been torture trying to prove herself to them all.

"No matter what people, or your own teammates, said to you, you always fought back. You never let their words keep you down for long. Sakura," He sighed once more and leaned back, staring down at her with a single, dark eye. "I can't say that I understand your pain, because I don't. Unlike you, I never let myself risk falling in love because I've already suffered so much pain from having bonds. However, I stand by what I say: you cannot let this change who you are as a person."

"But Sasuke–"

"Will come around." He gave her the smile he always had back when she was younger. It was the smile filled with promises of everything getting better soon. Now, though, it was different. She could actually see his smile instead of a simple eye crease. There were faint wrinkles at the corner of his eye, but other than them, he had very little marks on his face. Of course that wasn't including the scar cutting through his left eyebrow, eye and halfway down his cheek. "He's upset because of his family's distress. It's not fair that he's putting the blame on you, because it isn't entirely your fault. Itachi–san and Fugaku–san are both as much to blame as you are."

Another sigh. "Sakura, do you not think that perhaps you gave up on the relationship too soon, too easily?" Her eyes narrowed with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "You're hurting. I get that. However, there are things about Itachi–san that I am certain you still don't know about. And I know that this is, _was_, his first relationship. He is just as new at this as you are." Sakura looked away, chewing on her bottom lip as she once again pressed her head against his chest. "Remember that Itachi–san is human too, Sakura. No matter how highly others view him, he's still just a person. We all make mistakes. I've definitely made some and I know you have, too."

She shook her head, forcing back her tears. "…I don't blame you."

Her voice was so quiet that he had to strain to hear it. "Excuse me?"

Looking back up at him, Sakura gave him a serious look. "I don't blame you for what happened, Kakashi–sensei." His eye widened and she felt his arms loosen in shock. "I never have." He still looked shocked. "…I forgive you."

The words had finally formed. Just like Itachi told her they would.

"Sakura…" His hold suddenly tightened as he practically crushed her to his chest, but it was like she could feel the weight of what had happened lift from him, especially when his shoulders dropped in relief. "Thank you."

He had never forgiven himself for what happened that night. He had taken something that hadn't been his, something that had been precious to Sakura. Her virginity. A little warning may have been nice before she accepted what had to be done, but it couldn't be helped any longer.

She had forgiven him.

"It wasn't your fault." Her voice was a little shaky, a little quicker and her hold just as tight as his. "Please don't ever think that it was. You're one of my precious people, Kakashi–sensei. I'm sorry for what I said. It just came out!"

"Sakura, it's–"

"Forgive me for interrupting," The way Sakura tensed in Kakashi's arms, the way her hold tightened until it was bordering on painful, stunned him for a moment (until he got his breath back, of course), "but Haruno–san, you must come with me to the Hokage Tower."

Itachi.

Finally letting go of Sakura, Kakashi gave her a small smile and wiped away her tears. Like he always had. It had nothing to do with her being the weakest on the team. It was because he genuinely cared for her. "Remember what I said, Sakura. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes."

She nodded numbly, only half listening, but she certainly didn't miss the way Kakashi chuckled and lifted his mask back over the lower half of his face once more.

Itachi was wearing a standard issue jōnin uniform and Sakura could clearly see the glow of his Sharingan in the darkness of her bedroom. Why was his Sharingan activated? Was he feeling threatened? Emotional? Certainly he didn't think… _He did!_ Itachi thought that something had been going on! And Sakura wasn't even going to correct him. Nothing had been happening and wasn't going to happen, so it ripped into her chest that he would even think such a thing. Did he not trust her at all?

What the hell did it matter, anyway? They were no longer together. He had some perfect woman waiting for him back at home, whilst she was here, _alone_.

Alone.

It had never really struck her as powerfully as it did right at that moment.

Forcing the thoughts from her mind and turning so that her back was to Itachi, Sakura made her way over to her drawer. "Is it a mission, Uchiha–san?"

"It is."

"Please give me a moment to change in privacy, then."

There was a pause, one that felt hesitant, but then that cold air returned. "You have ten minutes to ready yourself. Be at the tower once you are done."

The ten minutes to dress and grab her backpack were much too short. Due to never knowing when she would be given a mission, Sakura always made sure to have her pack ready to simply grab and run. The many times as a genin where she had fussed for so long over what to pack was ridiculous. However, despite taking so long and leaving her packing until the day she was leaving, Sakura had never been late once.

Zipping up her flak jacket, Sakura stepped out of her home and slipped her pack over her shoulders, pausing for a moment to lock the front door and redo the seals. Once they were done, she jumped onto the roof opposite her home and made her way to the tower. Even from her front door, she could clearly see Tsunade's office light on, but she was too far to see much else.

By the time she arrived, everybody seemed to already be there and it stunned her for a moment when she saw the team. It wasn't an official one, but with the way they were standing, it was so very obvious that she would be going on a mission with them. Great. Just perfect.

"Nice to see you're finally here, Sakura," Tsunade told her as the pink haired kunoichi shut the door behind her. "Sorry to interrupt your time with Kakashi–"

"What?"

Had Itachi seriously mentioned she had been with Kakashi?

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. I asked him to speak with you about a certain Uchiha."

Sakura's eyes slipped over to that _certain Uchiha_. "And I gave Kakashi–sensei my answer." This time, when she spoke, her voice was directed to him instead of Tsunade. His eyes were blank as he stared right back at her. "You don't have to leave Team Seven. I already told him that I will."

Many eyes in the room narrowed until Ino stepped forward, glaring at Sasuke. "What the hell? You asked to leave? What, are you upset that Sakura's attention hasn't been–"

"Ino, shut up." Shikamaru sighed. "You're making things awkward for everyone."

And she truly was. But acting like Ino hadn't spoken a word, Sakura continued, "I get that you're blaming me, but that's no reason to quit the team. If seeing me really bothers you then just say it. Don't go behind my back to our sensei, asking if you can be moved to a different team."

There was a sigh before a hand was on her shoulder, making Sakura tense as she looked over it and at the man behind her. "Don't blame Sasuke, Sakura–san. It wasn't his choice. I'll explain everything to you as soon as we set out. You have my word as an Uchiha."

Sakura stepped out of Shisui's hold. "Thanks, but that means nothing to me."

"Then you have my word as a comrade." Shisui shrugged, understanding her completely. He didn't blame her for not trusting him or any other Uchiha. The Uchiha that she was friends with, or in love with, had both hurt her. As had Fugaku.

A frown settled on her features for a moment before Sakura nodded once and turned back to face Tsunade. "What's happening, Tsunade–shishou?"

"Many Oto–nin have been spotted dangerously close to our borders and according to the guards there, they have been attempting to cross them."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Why? Orochimaru is dead!"

"Exactly," she replied, but it was obvious the words pained her even if it was only by the smallest amount. Sakura didn't blame her. At one point, before he turned evil, Orochimaru had been her teammate. She had good memories of the boy, or man, that he used to be. "Which means they must be after something. We don't know much about them. All we know is that they're trying to get through our borders and they must be stopped."

Several nodded in agreement. "What else, Tsunade–sama?" Shikamaru asked. "Is there any specific way they're trying to get through?"

She shook her head, sighing. "No. However, it appears they've come up with a different plan, as they have split in half. Half of them are continuing to watch the guards across our borders, who are keeping an eye on them also, while the other half of Oto–nin are going around, trying to find a weak spot."

"Then that means they could already be in Fire Country," Itachi stated, his voice causing Sakura to fight back the urge to scowl. No, she wasn't angry with him, but it was the way his voice made her body react. She wanted to throw herself at him, to pin him against the wall and demand he take her back. It was ridiculous! "Have there been any reports since?"

"None."

Which could mean anything.

"I've chosen you all because of your skills. Together there will be two groups, each group the size of two teams. There will be four medics in each group, which are Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Shizune. Hinata, you will also need to use your Byakugan, as the other group will have Neji. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Tsunade–sama."

"Two Sharingan wielders in each group. Shisui and Itachi in one and Sasuke along with Kakashi in two."

Kakashi? Sakura scowled to herself and glanced around the room, but couldn't see him anywhere. That was no surprise. He was probably taking his time getting back after a quick stop at his apartment, since he hadn't been carrying anything for a mission.

"Shikamaru, you and Choji will be going into the same team as Ino so that you can use your Ino–Shika–Cho formation if you need to. This will be team one. As well as you three, Itachi, Shisui, Sakura, Neji and Tenten will also be in it. Understood?"

Oh, fuck her life.

It was so cliché!

It took everything in Sakura to hide her grimace, to hold back her beg for Tsunade to reconsider, to change the teams around. Somebody must have noticed her disliking, however, because she suddenly felt several sets of eyes on her back. She bit the inside of her lip, taking a deep breath to keep herself from turning around and slamming her fists into their faces.

"Yes, Tsunade–sama," Sakura answered first. It would be better and more professional of her to get it over with instead of complaining. "I understand."

"Good. Team One will be pursuing the group of Oto–nin who are travelling around the border. The last report we received told us that they were heading in the direction of Suna, which means passing through different villages. Try and stop them before that can happen. The last thing we need is for the other villages to get involved," Tsunade told them all and Team One nodded in understanding. "Team Two will consist of Hinata, Rock Lee, Sasuke, Kakashi, Kiba, Shizune, Shino and Naruto."

This time, Team Two nodded and Sakura's eyes narrowed when she spotted Kakashi slipping in through the window. He gave her an eye crease and a wave, to which she responded with a childish pout and the folding of her arms, turning her head away from him.

Tsunade ignored their antics, already used to them by now. "If something doesn't seem right, regroup. Having one large team of sixteen members," There was a loud bark, "_seventeen_ members, will be suspicious and put others on edge, but you will not be going any further than our borders, so nobody should approach you or demand to know what is happening as long as they can see your uniforms – it is why I ordered you all to wear them."

Including Itachi, who usually wore his ANBU uniform. At least that settled the mystery as to why he was wearing a different uniform. Sakura couldn't deny that he still looked hot, though. Somehow he–

No.

Those thoughts _had to stop_.

"Be wary of being outnumbered. The reports I received were vague, telling me only that there are a lot of Oto–nin."

Sakura felt something twist in her gut and knew immediately that something bad was going to happen. Her sensei and shishou had warned her many times before not to ignore her gut instinct. Eyebrows knitting together, Sakura glanced around the room and then turned back to Tsunade. "Shishou, shouldn't we have more medic–nin, if that's the case? Having only two in such a large–"

"I know the risks," Tsunade interrupted her with a sigh. "However, we cannot spare any more. It's bad enough that we're risking sending both yourself and Shizune, so don't die out there, you hear me?" It didn't take a genius to hear that Tsunade was being serious. Not just because Konoha needed Sakura and Shizune's medical skills, but also because she cared very much for them both. "Uchiha Itachi, you are the captain of Team One. Hatake Kakashi, captain of Team Two. You both have the experience to lead teams as large as these."

The sound of the door crashing open had many turning around, bodies tensing and preparing to attack, but the sight of a blond panting heavily, leaning against the door frame and trying to catch his breath, had them sighing with annoyance.

Sakura growled. "Naruto! What the hell took you so long? We have a mission, idiot!"

Between pants for breath, he chuckled sheepishly, straightening up from leaning and walking forward, taking his place beside Sasuke so that Sakura wouldn't be able to hit him. Kind of stupid, as it had never stopped her before. No matter how far away he was standing from her, Sakura _always_ got a hold of him._ Always_. "Kakashi–sensei came to find me about five–"

"Fifteen minutes ago," Kakashi interrupted, but went ignored by the blond.

"–minutes ago and I had to get my backpack ready and then come all the way here! Oh, that reminds me. Kakashi–sensei told me something else." His features darkened as he spun around, his fist slamming into Sasuke's face. The loud crash that followed had Sakura jumping in surprise, had Hinata gasping with shock from Naruto's other side. "_Bastard!_ I told you to stop trying to hurt Sakura–chan!"

As Sasuke pulled himself to his feet, he glared murderously at Naruto and wiped his lip free of blood. "Shut up, moron. This has nothing–"

"Nothing to do with me?" he yelled, shaking with his anger and honestly frightening Hinata. She had never seen him so mad before! "This is _our team_! _Our Sakura–chan!_ Why are you trying so hard to hurt her? So fucking what if she broke up with Itachi! That bastard deserved it!"

Murderous intent suddenly poured from the usually stoic Uchiha Itachi.

Shisui and Kakashi both prepared themselves to stop him if they had to.

Others gasped in surprise, turning to face both Sakura and Itachi with their shock obvious.

"Shut up!" Sasuke snapped right back at him.

"No!" Naruto's face flushed red with anger. "Stop making everything seem like it's her fault! Your dad is a dick and it's about time you realised that."

Sasuke lunged.

So did Sakura.

The punch that hit her had a yelp escaping her, had her crashing backwards into Naruto, who then went on to crash straight Hinata. In all honesty, they looked like falling dominoes. Pain flared in her cheek and it surprised her when she felt something warm trickling down it, mixing with the throbbing sensation.

The youngest Uchiha's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sakura, what–"

"I won't let you hurt Naruto, Sasuke," she spat, cringing at the pain. Behind her, Naruto quickly sat up, allowing the heavily blushing Hinata to awkwardly shuffle out from underneath him where Neji helped her stand, whilst he gently held Sakura as she brought a hand to her cheek, hesitantly pressing it against the wetness and when she pulled her hand back, it shocked her to see blood on her fingers. He'd split her cheek. That shock soon evaporated into anger. "He's only speaking the truth. If it really pisses you off, take your anger out on me, or you father, but not Naruto. He's standing up for me and being _a true friend_."

Her words hit him harder than any blow could have.

"Sakura." Shizune sighed as she knelt down beside her, raising a hand and healing her cheek without a word. Her chakra reserves had always been larger than Sakura's. "Please don't say such things about Fugaku–san. He's–"

"Head of the clan. I know," Sakura replied, nodding her thanks to Shizune. Once healed, Naruto helped her up and he was glaring viciously at Sasuke the entire time. "But I don't care."

Tsunade was stunned. She literally could not form any words. Heartbreak. Uchiha Itachi. Sakura. Fugaku. Damn, she needed some sake. "I guess this explains the complaint I received about you, Sakura," Tsunade muttered, her hand twitching to go to the bottom drawer. She couldn't, of course. Not with Shizune in her office. "Which reminds me, when you return, I need to speak with you about your behaviour towards Uchiha Fugaku."

It had taken him three months to complain? "Fine."

Once again sighing, Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her. "Perhaps another extended stay in Suna will satisfy him enough."

"I doubt it," Sakura replied with obvious anger. "Are we done now? I'd like to get this mission out of the way."

Was it wrong that Sakura was angry with Itachi? Once more, he had stood by and let it all happen. He hadn't defended her, but then again, he hadn't defended his father or Sasuke, either. What did that mean?

"Watch your mouth, girl," Tsunade warned her. "Otherwise you'll be staying with the Kazekage and his siblings for four months this time."

Itachi tensed. Sakura had _stayed with_ the Kazekage?

Noticing him tense, Shisui inwardly smirked. No matter how hard he tried, no mask was perfect. Some emotions were bound to slip through. Right now, it was so very obvious his friend was jealous.

"I'm sure they won't mind," Sakura replied haughtily, holding her chin high. "They said I can come back any time. Temari–san and I actually had fun and got to talk about," Her eyes slipped to Shikamaru's and she couldn't help but smirk when he blushed, "_stuff_."

And it was the truth. During the month Sakura had stayed in Suna, she had gotten to know the Sand Siblings quite well. Kankuro was there if she needed somebody to make her laugh, Temari was there for girl stuff (despite the older kunoichi not really knowing what to do, considering she got on with guys better than girls) and Gaara was there… Well, he was a great listener and surprisingly amazing at giving advice.

Naruto perked up out of his previous mood, grinning down at Sakura. "You stayed with Gaara? Why didn't you tell me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I _did_ tell you. It's not my fault you have the memory span of a goldfish."

Shisui chuckled.

"Our mission," Itachi spoke up before Naruto could continue. A few tensed at his cold voice, some more noticeably than others. "When do we leave?"

"Now," Tsunade answered and her eyes narrowed a fraction as she looked between Sakura and Itachi. Perhaps a few rearrangements were in order. If she had known about their relationship, even if it was now over, then she would have put them on separate teams. "Uchiha." All three looked down blankly at her, making her grit her teeth. "_Itachi_, can I trust that these recent develop–"

"I will not allow anything get in the way of the mission, Hokage–sama," he assured her tonelessly. "What happened between myself and Haruno–san is in the past."

This time, Sakura was the one to grit her teeth. "I wonder why _that_ is."

He chose to ignore her, but if it was even possible, his features deadpanned. For all his life, he had been a shinobi first and then a person. What difference would it make right now? Itachi would merely be continuing what had always happened. No feelings, no emotions. Just getting the mission done and returning home.

"Team Two," Tsunade suddenly barked, "you may go now. Head straight to the main border. Team One, stay behind for a moment." Once the second team had left, Naruto sparing her a worried glance, the first team all took one step closer to the desk. "Everyone except for Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura, go and wait by the gates."

"If I may, Tsunade–sama, perhaps now–"

"No, you may _not,_" she snapped at Itachi, narrowing her eyes at him. "Everyone else, leave. There is something we must discuss."

A thick and uncomfortable silence filled the room as the other members of the team disappeared one by one and like Naruto had done for her, Shisui glanced one last time at Itachi before transporting to the gate. The tension in the air felt as though it was suffocating Sakura, like she couldn't even breathe and she had the sudden urge to stick her head out of the window to try and get some fresh air.

For a couple of moments, Tsunade observed them both. She wasn't sure how she had missed something as big as her apprentice being in a relationship with the Uchiha clan heir, but that didn't change the fact that she had. And now her apprentice was in pain. Heartbroken. Just the look in her eyes at that moment in time told her that.

"You're both idiots," Tsunade muttered darkly, her honey brown eyes filled with anger and… envy? The Hokage was envious? "I don't know what the hell happened and I don't care to know, but when you find love, you hold onto it tightly with both hands. You do _not_ let something as foolish as a lover's tiff or an interfering old fart like Uchiha Fugaku get in the way!" She shot to her feet, her trembling hands gripping her desk tightly. It was almost like she was forcing herself to _not_ reach over the desk and hit them. "Don't look at me like that, Sakura! And don't give me that cold glare, Itachi! I am your Hokage. But not only am I your Hokage, I'm also a living example as to what happens when you let go of that love. Only, I wasn't willing to let go of it.

"Look at me. _Look at me!"_ Tsunade practically screamed, one of her arms sweeping across the desk and making Sakura jump as everything was thrown through the air, some landing on the ground with harsh clatters and others smashing into the wall. "Do you want to end up like this? A bitter old drunk? I can assure you both now that if you continue like this, acting like neither of you care when you so obviously do, you will regret it. Remember that we are shinobi. Our lives are never supposed to be easy! We lose people we love and _it hurts_! But we can't change that. What we _can_ change is how we spend our time together.

"Either you can continue living this way, with the both of you miserable and almost killing yourselves on missions or in the hospital," Her upper lip curled, "or you can get out there, get through this mission and come back to deal with Fugaku. _Together_." Neither said a word. One staring in shock, whereas the other was blank. "I wouldn't wish the pain of losing your lover on my worst enemy and if I could, I would go to the past and spend as much time with Dan as I could. But I can't. _I can't_ and _it still hurts_. You have a chance to do something. Don't turn into me."

Tears filled Sakura's eyes at the sight of her shishou's pain, but just as she opened her mouth, she was stopped. Tsunade's face was tilted downwards, her bangs falling into her eyes, hiding them from view, but Sakura could see the quivering of her bottom lip. She could see that the blonde was barely keeping back the sob that was no doubt clawing its way up her throat.

"Leave," Tsunade whispered, her voice hoarse and strained.

The moment they walked out of the office, neither failed to miss the tear that slipped down Tsunade's cheek and as soon as the door was shut, they heard the sound of something slamming into it, a pained sob echoing in their ears.

* * *

**A/N - An emotional Tsunade. I'm not sure if she ever acted that way before, but I know she's secretly emotional. Tsunade simply hides it from others to seem strong but now, she's trying to make both Itachi and Sakura see.**

**I was going through this chapter and I noticed that I say 'simply' and 'pain' a lot. I didn't even notice at first hahah!**

**This story was supposed to end this chapter, but it seemed to take a mind of its own and continue. You don't mind if I make it a little longer, do you? No more than ten chapters, most likely.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	6. Safe

**Chapter 6 – Safe**

Silence enveloped them for a moment, neither able to speak or breathe as they quickly left the Hokage Tower. They wouldn't admit it, but the sound of Tsunade's cries hurt them. Sakura more so than Itachi. And secretly, deep down, they were both scared of turning out like the blonde. Alone and bitter with only pain and sake as their constant companions.

The moment they were outside in the fresh air, Sakura took a deep breath and was grateful that Itachi gave her a moment to compose herself before speaking. No matter what had happened between them, he still knew her. He knew that she would need a couple of seconds to force back her tears and emotions.

"Ha–" He cut himself off with a sigh and closed his eyes. "Sakura."

Like during their break up, it felt like somebody was whipping her heart.

Once he opened his eyes, it surprised her that his cold look was gone. Now, he seemed exhausted. "Know that I am sorry for how things turned out between us."

_Whip_.

"I never meant to hurt you."

_Whip. Whip._

"I know now that I should have defended you against my father. It was unfair of him to say those things to you and it was wrong of me to have done nothing."

_Whip. Whip. Whip. Whip. Whip. Whip._

How much more of this unbearable whipping could she take?

Just as he opened his mouth, she cut him off with a pleading look. "Stop. _Please_, Itachi. Just stop. I can't…" She shook her head, demanding that her tears didn't show. "We need to focus on our mission. Perhaps when we return, we can talk about what happened to clear the air between us, but not now. We're not Sakura and Itachi anymore. We're shinobi, tools for our village."

"If that is what you want." Itachi told her quietly.

"It is."

"Very well." There was a pause. "I need to know that I can trust you as my teammate." She looked at him disbelievingly, about to yell at him, but he cut her off. "I can see the anger directed at me in your eyes, Sakura. I need to know that if I need you, you will ignore that anger and be there. Not as my lover or ex–lover, but as my teammate, a fellow comrade. I already know that I can trust you, as you are a capable medic, but you are still an emotional person. You often allow it to cloud your judgement."

It was so wrong that she couldn't even argue with him. Why? Because it was true. She _did_ allow her emotions to take control of her. That would always be something that she could never fix. However, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little betrayed that Itachi would think such a thing. Not help him? "No matter how angry I am with you, Itachi, I still love you." The words came out without her permission, but as they had finally been said, she forced herself to continue. "Like you said, my emotions… They're annoying, I know. If I even think that you need me, though, I'll be there."

She gave him a small, pathetic smile, only able to look him in the eyes for a second before looking down at the ground.

Silence. Itachi was stunned. Three months ago, Sakura had told him that there had to be more than just love for a relationship to work, which gave him the impression that she could possibly love him since she had never said the words before and neither had he. Now, her words solidified that suspicion. And God it made that pain in his chest whenever he looked at her increase. Knowing he had betrayed her so brutally, the woman who loved him back, was torturing him.

"Sakura, I–"

"Oi! You two better hurry up. We cannot waste any more time."

The voice of Shisui cut through the tension, pulling them back into reality. Itachi took a step away from her, lowering the hand that had been about to cup her cheek before she could notice whilst Sakura immediately glanced up at Shisui, who was standing beside them. When the hell had he appeared? He hadn't been there a minute ago! Oh. That was right. Shisui was known as the master of the body flicker technique. '_Shunshin no Shisui_'.

"Sorry for interrupting," He gave them a genuine apologetic look, "but we seriously need to go. Neji–san informed me only moments ago that his byakugan can pick up on many Oto–nin approaching. Fast."

"No, it's fine." Sakura shook her head, refusing to meet Itachi's eyes. "We've said all we needed to say."

She was so wrong. He had a lot that needed to be said! Why were people always cutting him off? Why were they always ignoring his opinions? Why couldn't they hear his voice when it was so obvious that he disagreed? Itachi watched her face as she slipped on her gloves. The hurt in her eyes was so very obvious to him, as was her sadness. He had always been capable of reading her so easily, like she was an open book to him.

"Itachi?"

He tore his eyes from Sakura's face and turned to his friend. "Let's go."

They ran through the forest silently. The darkness of it was eerie to Sakura, making her uneasy. She had always disliked travelling through the forest at night – not even being a powerful kunoichi could change that. No, she wasn't scared of the dark, but she was scared of what the darkness felt like to her. It was unpredictable. You could never tell who was watching you. It was suffocating. You could lose yourself so easily in it. It made you think about things you would rather not, implanting images into your mind and if you focused too much on it, it could make you see things that actually weren't there.

By her side was Ino, who was uncharacteristically silent and had been for quite a while.

"Just get it over with." Sakura kept her voice low, knowing that they had to be wary in case of their enemy overhearing. "I know you're waiting to practically ambush me with questions and accusations."

Ino hadn't been told about what happened, about her and Itachi, but she had been there for Sakura. The moment she heard that Sakura was down, she turned up at her home, barging in and making herself at home, refusing to leave her friend alone for even a second. However, due to her reputation as Konoha's greatest gossiper, Sakura hadn't let a single piece of information slip out, no matter how badly she needed Ino's advice.

The blonde was quiet for a moment, watching her feet as she hopped from one branch to another, Sakura a second or two faster. "No. I don't want to ask you anything." Sakura's surprise had to have been obvious, but Ino ignored it. "But I do have something to say to you." She sighed, finally moving her gaze up from her feet to look at Sakura. "Don't feel like you can't speak to me about these things, Sakura. I know I spread a lot of gossip but I would never do that to you. You've been so upset and hurt these past three months and it was killing me inside that I couldn't help you, because you didn't feel like you could trust me with what happened."

"He's engaged, Ino." she whispered in return, her voice barely even audible. The sounds of branches creaking, leaves rustling and wind rushing by them covered her words easily. The only one who would be capable of hearing her, would be Ino. "He took me to formally introduce me to his parents as his lover, but his father didn't approve of our relationship and then went on to list why he didn't."

A saddened look filled Ino's eyes, almost completely smothering the anger she wanted to release. That bastard. How dare he hurt Sakura? That Fugaku had better watch his back and be glad that he was the head of the Uchiha clan, because if she ever got her hands on him and was able to get away with murdering him… "And he forced you to end your relationship?"

She shook her head. It had always been easier speaking with Ino than anyone else. The blonde understood Sakura's pain. Maybe not exactly, but enough so that she could be there. "No, I guess I ended things. I was upset and angry and I couldn't think straight because of this… this horrible pain in my chest that just won't go away." Her bottom lip trembled, but Sakura forced herself to remain calm. They were on a mission, after all. "It's been three months and that ache still won't go."

"You can't fix a broken heart, Sakura." Ino told her softly and turned her gaze forward, watching the back of Uchiha Itachi. She could see why her best friend had fallen for him. He was an older version of Sasuke, meaning he would be more experienced and – no, Sakura wasn't like that anymore. If she was in a relationship, then that meant the guy had to be all the things she had ever wanted and more. "Even if you one day move on, it's still going to hurt. It just gets easier to cope with."

For four months, Ino had dated Uchiha Sasuke. It should have been everything she dreamed about. It should have been perfect and sweet and it just… wasn't. The sex had been amazing, there was no doubt about that, but they didn't have that connection. He didn't love her. Finding out had been one of the most excruciating things she had ever suffered through. It had been one year, seven months and twenty–one days since they broke up and still, it hurt. But Ino had come to accept what couldn't be changed. Sasuke was never going to fall in love with her. He had even admitted that.

No, he hadn't been using her for sex. Sasuke really had tried to love her and that was what hurt her the most. No matter what she did, or how she acted, he would never love her. And it was why he broke up with her. Sasuke had realised that Ino had been hoping she would one day marry him, that they would settle down and possibly have children. He didn't want to hold her back from having those things. There had been no sadness from him, no heartbreak. He simply accepted immediately what had to be done and got it over with.

It hurt so much because of how long she had been in love with him for. Since just a child. And she had given so much to him. Her heart, her virginity… Anything and everything. But in a way, Ino was so glad that they broke up. Now, she was engaged. Her eyes drifted to a different back the same time as her hand fell to her stomach. Choji. He had been there the moment he heard of the break up, had taken care of her and put the pieces of her heart back together. And he hadn't expected a thing from it. It angered her that she had never realised how deeply he cared for her before, but the moment Ino found out, she couldn't deny that she had been happy. Then slowly, she began to return his feelings. She allowed herself to fall in love once again, knowing that she could trust Choji with her heart.

Now, ten months on, they were expecting their first child and their wedding was in less than two weeks. Their parents had yet to find out about her pregnancy and hopefully it would stay that way until after the honeymoon, because they would not be pleased. _At all_. The only people who knew were her teammates and Sakura. In fact, it had been Sakura who told _her_. A week ago, actually. According to the pink haired kunoichi, Ino was a month into her pregnancy.

That was fine. Already she and Choji had their own place. Since their clans weren't as big as the Uchiha or Hyuuga clans, they didn't have their own districts. And now their clans were linked even more strongly than before, since the both of them were heirs. It had been difficult at first as talk of one of them having to give up their title of heir came up, but Shikaku, thankfully, had settled it. Simply put, she and Choji could be together. Happy.

Sakura didn't reply to Ino's words. It made her feel even worse knowing that the ache would never go away. What if she didn't have a Choji to take care of her? Would she forever be stuck like this? Suffering and alone? There had been two men who had taken care of her, but there were no romantic feelings for them. Gaara and Kakashi. They were the only men who managed to get her to open up. All she saw was Itachi. No matter how kind they were to her, how much they tried to help, all Sakura could think about was Itachi.

"Ino!" A voice yelled suddenly. "Sakura!"

The two kunoichi quickly dropped to the ground, just missing the large amount kunai that had been about to impale them and to stop them from hitting anyone else, Neji used the branch he had just been landing on to launch himself backwards and to the centre, using his _Hakkeshō Kaiten_ to deflect them all.

As soon as they were on the ground, the others joined them, falling into defensive stances and readying themselves. It was not strange for the enemy to attempt to take out the medics first. It was common knowledge to do so. It gave the opposing team less chance of survival.

"Hyuuga–san, can you locate the Oto–nin?"

Byakugan still activated, Neji glanced around. "Yes." he told Itachi. "We're completely surrounded."

Sakura clenched her fists and Ino whipped out a kunai.

"How many?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes discreetly glancing over at Ino's stomach before he was facing forward once more.

"Sixty."

Shisui activated his sharingan, copying Itachi as he watched for any attacks.

"What's the plan, Shikamaru?" Choji questioned and like the Nara's had, his eyes focused on Ino, and then her stomach. The intense need to protect his fiancée and their child was almost overwhelming but the subtle shake of Shikamaru's head kept him from doing anything.

"We wait for them to reveal themselves." he shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Neji, focus only on their movements. Shisui–"

"I know."

And then the sounds of bodies hitting the floor, screams of agony rippling through the air reached them, causing Sakura to stare up at Shisui in shock. Genjutsu. She was originally a genjutsu type, meaning she could sense and dispel them easily. But this one… Damn. It was amazing. Not for the enemy, of course. But the fact that he could so easily lay genjutsu, even from this distance, was astounding. He certainly lived up to his name as the most powerful genjutsu user. She had never felt any genjutsu so powerful before!

"I created it whilst we were running." Shisui answered her unspoken question, feeling her shocked stare on his emotionless face. "There are several layers, so they won't be able to break it easily."

"Twenty–three of the sixty Oto–nin are down." Neji informed them all. "Not one of them can break your genjutsu."

Turning his head to the side, Itachi ordered, "Shisui, take three of our group with you and either capture or kill the shinobi who are down. Once you are done, return immediately."

There were way too many. Their team consisted of eight people – four now that Shisui had taken Ino, Shikamaru and Choji with him. It was best to keep those three together, like Tsunade had said. They worked best as a team and had their infamous Ino–Shika–Cho formation. If their enemies were to suddenly attack now, it would be thirty–seven against four of them.

Narrowing his eyes, Neji continued to watch all movements the Oto–nin made whilst also keeping an eye on the four who had gone to dispatch of the group that had been easily taken down by Shisui. Still, not a single one of them had managed to dispel the genjutsu, which was good news for the team who quickly got to work. He could see how both Ino and Choji hesitated, but surprisingly it was Shikamaru to knock sense into them and as he focused on Ino's chakra, noticing a disturbance, Neji's eyes suddenly widened.

"Sakura," His voice was quiet, but there was a tone of authority to it that had Sakura tensing, "as Yamanaka Ino's closest friend, I am sure you have been told of her… _news_."

Shit.

Why had they even thought they could get something like that passed a Hyuuga?

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he and Tenten fought the urge to look behind them at Neji and Sakura, who were standing side by side, yet not looking at each other. They all had their backs to one another, watching from all sides and angles just in case Neji somehow managed to miss something.

"And from your silence, I know that I am right."

"What is it, Hyuuga–san?"

"Ino is pregnant."

Silence.

"You withheld this information?" Neji asked Sakura but kept his eyes forward.

She bristled. "It isn't my secret to tell."

"You _do_ understand that this puts her in more danger, don't you?" Tenten questioned as she settled her hand on the scroll behind her, prepared for a sudden assault. "Choji, too, if he knows."

"Does he know?"

Sensing her rising anger, Itachi decided to put an end to Neji and Tenten's constant questioning. "Enough. Hyuuga–san, you and your fiancée are hardly innocent at withholding information for you knew that if Hokage–sama was aware of your engagement, she would have placed you both on separate teams. The only reason why Yamanaka–san and Akimichi–san are on the same team is because they work well together, along with Shikamaru–san, as Ino–Shika–Cho."

They were both silenced and inwardly, Sakura thanked Itachi. "Ino is capable of looking after herself." she finally told them both. "I agree with you that she should have told Tsunade–sama, but this is her choice. She is choosing to put the village before herself just like any one of us would do."

"They are done." Neji stated as he ignored Sakura. "No survivors."

No survivors. That was every medic's worst nightmare. Even if they were her enemy, she didn't wish death on them. Sakura would never wish death on anyone. Not even Fugaku (didn't change what she thought of him, though, because he was still a bastard). Just knowing that her best friend, Ino, had had to go through twenty–three men and women, either killing them herself or watching as they were killed made her stomach twist. Like her, Ino was also a medic.

"Prepare yourselves." the Hyuuga told them, falling into the classic Hyuuga stance for battle. "They're on the move and about to attack!"

"Sakura," It surprised her that Itachi's voice was just like it used to be with her. Soft, smooth. Like it was only them there and nothing else mattered, "remember what you said."

Remember what she said? What did she say that–

Oh.

'_We're not Sakura and Itachi anymore. We're shinobi, tools for our village_.'

"Yeah." she replied quietly, tightening her clenched fists as she watched the first of the Oto–nin leap towards them out of the trees.

There were so many of them! Thirty–seven in total.

But Sakura refused to let that make her lose hope. They were all powerful in their own way and soon, Shisui, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji would be joining them once more to help. For now they simply had to hold on and do their best.

Her eyes narrowed as Sakura finally, after so many years, released the chakra that had been stored up in her forehead. She would need it for the battle. She could tell already. And as the rhombus mark appeared on her forehead, Sakura could feel her chakra doubling, tripling, giving her larger reserves, but she could already feel what would happen if she was to overuse her seal with a specific jutsu. It would shorten her lifespan. But to protect her comrades, her friends… _Itachi_… It would be worth it.

"Sakura–"

"It's fine." she told Neji, who had most likely felt her increase of chakra. "We probably won't need it, but this is just in case."

"A medic, fighting?" one of the Oto–nin laughed loudly. His dark hair was slicked back, looking greasy and filthy and inwardly, she cringed. Dirty hair had always disgusted Sakura. To match his dark hair were a set of startling blue eyes that she had to admit were beautiful, and his skin had a soft tan. "Is your team really that _weak_ that they have to rely on their medic–nin so much?"

Sakura's upper lip curled. "Rule of medics number one: No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end. Rule number two: No medic ninja shall _ever_ stand on the front lines! Rule number three: No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon!" Blue chakra suddenly erupted around her fists and as it did, her hair whipped around violently. "_Rule number four!_" She shot forward, drawing back her fist. "_Only those medic–nin who have mastered the Byakugō no Jutsu of the ninja art Sōzō Saisei are permitted to discard the above–mentioned laws!_"

Her loud yell was joined by her fist smashing into the Oto–nin's face, immediately hurtling him backwards and taking a decent amount of others with him as they crashed through the trees that they had just come from.

It was with that, that the battle begun.

* * *

"I still can't believe you asked to leave team seven."

It took everything in Sasuke not start screaming and beat the crap out of Naruto. This had to be the seventh time in the past hour that he had brought up the topic. _Again_.

What? Did Naruto think that he _wanted_ to leave team seven? That he _wanted_ to abandon his team by finding another and then going through the annoying teamwork thing all over again? He was used to team seven and had bonded with them. They knew him just as much as he knew them. The entire team fought well together and it was almost as though they could read each other's minds because they were so in sync! Did Naruto really believe that Sasuke would willingly give all that up? Idiot!

Instead of saying all of that to him, Sasuke chose to stay silent.

"We're approaching the border." Kakashi informed them all. "Be ready for anything."

But as they dropped down to the place they were supposed to be meeting the ANBU who guarded the border at, they were surprised to find nobody there. No Oto–nin. No ANBU. Only–

"Shit!" Kakashi cursed under his breath as he knelt down, inspecting the ground closely and once he recognised the signs of there being battle, of the ANBU who had been there ending their lives with a jutsu so that their identities and knowledge would remain a secret, he shot up to his feet. "Hinata, please activate your byakugan and check around us."

Naruto frowned, looking around curiously. "What's happened, Kakashi–sensei?"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Kiba snapped at him and Akamaru barked once in agreement. "Hinata needs to concentrate."

Whilst it angered him that Kiba was speaking to him in such a way, Naruto did as he was told, knowing how serious the situation was. So instead he watched as Hinata made the seal and activated her byakugan, watched as veins appeared around her pale eyes, proving that she was much more than just a pretty face. She was a kunoichi. A dangerously skilled one. There was a pause of silence as Hinata narrowed her eyes a fraction, turning in the direction they had just come from and causing the others to watch her warily.

And then her eyes widened.

"Hinata?" Shino called out to her, telling her without words to explain.

"Sakura–san…"

"What?" Naruto and Sasuke exclaimed at the same time, the latter immediately inwardly yelling at himself for doing so. Much more calmly, Sasuke continued. "What about her?"

"Her chakra just doubled… No, more than that. It's increased immensely."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he turned to look at Shizune. "Does that mean she released the chakra stored up in her forehead?"

The dark haired woman nodded, but seemed uncomfortable. That didn't surprise them. Whenever Tsunade released her seal, Shizune was always close by in case something went wrong. Since it was Sakura's first time using it, of activating the seal, she wanted to be there, watching her back just like she would watch Tsunade's. "Hinata–san, please tell me what else you can see."

Noticing the serious look on Shizune's face but the pleading expression in her eyes, Hinata also grew serious and nodded once, her eyes once again going back to the other group. "They have been separated. Shisui–san as well as Ino–san, Shikamaru–kun and Choji–kun have all gone to defeat the Oto–nin who are…" Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "I believe they are under genjutsu. Their chakra is incredibly disturbed."

It didn't shock Sasuke. "Shisui is the most talented in our clan for his genjutsu. He doesn't need to look you in the eye to place one on you." He should know. During their spars, Shisui had even been capable of using his powerful genjutsu skills on him! And usually, other sharingan users would not be captured so easily. Granted, at the time, Sasuke had only been young, but his own sharingan was powerful now!

"There's no one more skilled than him when it comes to genjutsu." Kakashi agreed and then glanced down at Hinata. "What about the other team?"

She frowned for a moment, focusing harder on them. "There are… many, _many_ Oto–nin completely surrounding them. Sakura–san has released the chakra in her forehead, activating her seal, and started the battle. She took out a great amount of enemies with a single blow."

Naruto grinned wildly. That was his Sakura–chan! "Too bad your dad isn't here to see her, right, Sasuke? Then he'd be forced to apologise for calling her weak!"

"Not now, Naruto." the Uchiha growled in response, although couldn't help but inwardly agree. If his father just took his head out of his ass and watched Sakura in battle, he would see that she wasn't weak. Yes, she had her flaws and her weaknesses, but they all did!

"The others are all faring well, but…"

Kiba's eyes widened with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. "But?" he pushed. "C'mon, Hinata, don't leave us hanging!"

"There are too many Oto–nin!" she forced out, her features becoming worried. "I believe this may have been a trap, for there are many more enemies heading towards the battle."

Kakashi's insides turned to ice and the only visible part of his face suddenly turned much paler than usual. "How many?"

"Another fifty, possibly more. They are moving much too fast for me to see clearly."

It was an unspoken order that had them all sprinting off back the way they came.

* * *

"_Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni_!"

Many Oto–nin were suddenly struck with fiery shuriken, burning them severely and once they were distracted by the pain, Sakura darted forward, using a medical jutsu to end their lives quickly with just a tap of her hand to their heart.

It had been one of Kabuto's techniques, only she had changed it. There was no name for it as she hadn't been able to come up with one. It didn't need one, really. Simple technique, no words needed. Just one touch of her palm ended your life. Sakura would admit that Neji had helped her complete the technique, though. It had been with his knowledge of chakra networks that guided her, helped her.

Turning and leaping away quickly, Sakura looked around warily. Itachi had already resumed battling with the other shinobi the moment he distracted the ones Sakura had just finished off. There was no sign of him tiring out any time soon. Tenten was fighting just as well with her weapons, using her scrolls to launch all–out attacks when they tried to group up and outnumber her. They didn't make the same mistake twice. Well, they didn't do it a third time. As for Neji…

He smirked at the group surrounding him, once more falling into his stance. Only this one was different. "You're all within range. How foolish of you."

Oh, they were dead. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind now.

"_Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!"_

And then he was tearing through them all, starting at striking one enemy twice, then going onto the next. It was usually only used on one enemy at a time to strike all sixty–four chakra points, but Sakura could see what he was doing. Neji was slowing them down and whilst doing that, he was shoving them all closer together. Why, she wasn't too sure yet, but she knew that it would have some importance. Neji was not one to act without thinking. Everything he did had a specific purpose.

His arms and hands moved rapidly and with each swirl to reach a new opponent, his hair whipped around him. The enemy who had once seemed so confident were now stuttering and showing fear, trying pathetically to move away. It was no use.

Jumping backwards, Neji pulled back his arm, his hand closing slightly, but not completely, as he thrust it forward.

"_Hakke Kūshō_!"

It was like a giant wall of air suddenly slammed into them, finishing them off by catching all the Oto–nin off guard, knocking them off their feet by the tremendous force and severing all other chakra points Neji had missed.

See? He had a reason for everything. By targeting as many chakra points on his enemies as possible, Neji had slowed them down, making it harder for them to move away. Once certain that they would all stay in position, he had attacked with what appeared to be a giant wall of chakra. She would seriously hate to get on Neji's wrong side.

Quickly whipping out a kunai, Sakura blocked the one that had been to stab her in the stomach and whilst growling with annoyance she looked in the direction it had come from. When she noticed a redhead standing there, looking cocky and proud, her eyes narrowed.

She had heard of this… _woman_. Karin. No, Sakura didn't know her personally, but she knew that Sasuke had met her once before, back during the first chunin exams. How did she know that? _Please_. Back then, Sakura had been a creepy, obsessed fan–girl. She knew _everything_ about Sasuke. Enough that would make him blush heavily and scowl at her.

It was shocking to see that Karin was still alive, considering how useless she had been during the chunin exams. She had been even worse than Sakura! Karin hadn't even made it to the preliminary rounds. Pathetic! And hadn't Sasuke saved her? Of course that was only because he had noticed she had a scroll, but he had still saved her.

That was horrible of her. She hated it when people called _her_ useless and pathetic, so what right did it give her to call others that?

Oh but something about this woman rubbed Sakura the wrong way. And with the way she was looking at–

She was staring at Itachi, watching him fight, like he was a piece of meat. Was she really so easily distracted? Yes, Sakura would admit that he looked like a completely different being whilst fighting, as he was so graceful and made his movements look completely natural, like his body was flowing, but that was no reason to get distracted! Surely this kunoichi knew that? Sakura had stopped being distracted by men or boys when she was thirteen, when Tsunade had literally knocked it out of her!

Using the kunai in her hand, Sakura threw it with as much force as possible and was just about to follow after it when Karin hissed in pain, her attention once again brought back to Sakura. The deadly look in the redhead's ruby eyes as she ripped the kunai out of her shoulder had Sakura's narrowing, but they only narrowed further when Karin lifted her arm and bit down on it. From the looks of things… Sakura's eyes widened. She was healing herself? Clearly the other kunoichi was not a real medic–nin if she had to rely on having people biting her to heal them, but she was still capable of healing nonetheless, which meant she had to be taken out before she could heal her comrades.

At the same time as she darted towards Karin, four others joined the battle, quickly getting involved as they defended their comrades. Noticing that the redhead was distracted by their arrival, Sakura took advantage of that, but was surprised when Karin quickly stepped to the side, dodging the fist that would have gone straight through her chest. What? How had she been able to sense–

Sensory type as well as healing abilities. Sakura had to admit that she did have some useful abilities. It was simply a shame that she was on the bad side.

Gathering more chakra into her fist, she grit her teeth but just as the redhead prepared herself to dodge another punch, Sakura quickly sent chakra to her foot and smashed it into the ground. Leading from her all the way to Karin, was a gigantic crack of earth were the ground was splitting and quaking, throwing her off balance and the moment that happened, the moment Sakura noticed Karin stumbling, she shot forward, ending the battle with a final, killing blow to the face.

She was just in time to see more Oto–nin appear, backing up the ones who were still left. There were so many of them! There wasn't time to count them all, but Sakura could tell that there was around fifty, possibly even more.

Everybody was busy with their battles. Neji was defeating each opponent with a single strike to their heart with his gentle fist, tearing through them quickly. Tenten was launching kunai after kunai, shuriken after shuriken, before using a short–range weapon and dashing forward, taking them all on at once. As for Itachi, he was still doing as well as before, but was obviously focusing on a more troubling enemy who seemed to have captured his attention. He didn't see the one approaching from behind, preparing to attack him.

The moment Sakura noticed this, eight more Konoha–nin joined them, Akamaru and Kiba literally ripping into their opponents, Naruto using his rasengan, Sasuke and Kakashi both using chidori. Hinata quickly landed beside her cousin, showing them how powerful the Hyuuga clan was as they both teamed up. Shizune dropped in front of a group of Oto–nin, breathing in deeply before she was exhaling large, purple smoke. Poison. She was using her poison against them. Shino was next, completely covering his enemies with his bugs. The loudest and most dramatic entrance had to go to Rock Lee, however. He took down many with his dynamic entry and _Konoha Daisenpū_.

But none of that mattered. They were all too busy to see what she could.

Sakura's eyes were wide as she darted forward and the pain that suddenly smashed into her had her crying out, had her squeezing her eyes shut. But not before she slammed her palm against the man's chest, over his heart, watching for just a second as his eyes widened and he stumbled forward, falling to the ground lifelessly a moment later. Unlike Kabuto's technique, she _could_ reach arteries and the heart.

"Sakura–chan!" she heard Naruto screaming her name desperately.

Arms wrapped around her tightly, catching Sakura before she could fall to the ground just like the man who had tried to attack Itachi. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know who it was. The feeling of his arms would always be engraved into her mind. No matter how bad things got, even right here, right now, after everything that had happened, he made her feel safe. He radiated such warmth that it practically called to her and gave her the feeling of safety.

Scooping her up, Itachi spun around, landing a powerful kick to his enemy's stomach before he jumped away, stopping underneath a tree and lowering Sakura to the ground.

"Why did you do that?" Itachi demanded, ripping open Sakura's flak jacket to inspect the wound. "I knew that he–"

"Shut up." she wheezed. "It's not… like I could stop. My body moved b–by itself."

Like the time on The Great Naruto Bridge, when Sasuke had protected Naruto. Now, she felt as though she could understand how he had felt. Seeing danger closing in so fast on your precious person was terrifying. It was like her body had lifted itself from the ground, throwing itself in front of him to instead take the blow.

"I already t–told you, Itachi." Sakura told him, wincing when he pressed a hand against her side to try and slow the bleeding. The enemy had definitely punctured her lung and already Sakura could feel it filling with blood, could feel her breathing becoming more difficult. "_No matter how angry I am with you, Itachi, I still love you_." she repeated the words she had spoken not too long ago, making his eyes widen. "_Like you said, my emotions… They're annoying, I know. If I even think that you need me, though, I'll be there_."

"Heal yourself." he demanded, lifting her hands and placing them over her wound. "_Now_."

She shook her head. "The others need my chakra–"

"I will take care of them, Sakura." Shizune suddenly appeared beside her, dropping to her knees. If she hadn't needed to save her chakra to heal everybody else, she would have healed Sakura. But the younger kunoichi was capable of healing herself. "I give you permission on behalf of Tsunade-sama to use _that jutsu_ and save your own life. You may not have much chakra left after that, but it's okay. I'll stay by your side and protect you. I will personally make sure that every one of our comrades survive!"

The pain was excruciating and it didn't take long to break through her stubbornness, especially when she saw the look Sasuke and Naruto both shot her way, each looking worried about her before they were fighting much more fiercely. Everybody was determined to get the battle out of the way, to protect their friends and go home.

Nodding quickly, she couldn't help but cough up blood violently as Itachi helped her stand once more, taking a step back once she was steady. The seal on her forehead began to travel across her features, copying the pattern that only rarely appeared on her shishou's. It was a dangerous technique, one that shortened your lifespan. It wasn't something to take lightly or overuse. To do so was reckless and highly dangerous. You would also have to be retarded. Chakra outlined her body, her hair raising around her face as she focused hard on the chakra that had been stored up. There wasn't a lot of it left, but there was enough to heal the damage.

She closed her eyes and raised her hands to form the seal Tsunade had personally taught her, muttering the words, "_Yin Seal: Release! Ninpou Sōzō Saisei_!"

The two opposite her watched in silent awe as the wounds and all blood covering and littering Sakura's pale skin seemed to evaporate.

Her eyebrows knitted together. There was more damage than what she had suspected. It wasn't just one lung that had been pierced, both had been pretty much cut through and it was surprising that she had lasted so long with such an injury. As well as that, her knuckles were broken, her wrist was sprained and there were a few cuts and bruises along her body. As the jutsu healed her injuries, the seal that had been covering her skin slowly receded to beneath her hair, completely disappearing from view. It would reappear soon, just not yet.

"Itachi–san," Shizune said almost softly to him, "please go and help our comrades. I will watch over Sakura."

In a way, they were kind of like sisters. They had the same shishou, Tsunade, who had taught them everything she knew. The woman had cared for them in her own way and had always protected them. She made damn sure that they would be capable of defending themselves, should she not be there one day to do it. Also, she guided them. Tsunade gave them advice. Not the bullshit 'be yourself' kind of advice. The real stuff. The woman knew exactly what she was talking about and wasn't afraid to tell them straight up how it was.

Looking her over a final time, Itachi nodded once and disappeared, once again entering the battle. The difference it made was ridiculous! And like his comrades, it was obvious he was doing everything he can to end it, as he was tearing through his enemies, giving them quick deaths so that it wouldn't waste any more time.

Just as she took a step forward, Shizune stopped her. "It's almost over, now, Sakura. As medics we need to save what is left of our chakra and heal our friends. Even if their wounds are not fatal, it is our duty to make sure there isn't any pain at all."

Because Shizune had never lied to her before, Sakura stood by her side, taking care of the odd Oto–nin who would come a little too close to them. They waited for their friends to finish so that they could heal them. After a couple of moments, Ino was stumbling out of battle first, looking utterly worn out. Hinata was next and although she wasn't worn out, she knew the importance of saving her chakra in case she needed to heal. More than anything, Sakura wanted to tell the Hyuuga that it wasn't necessary, that she could continue to fight by Naruto's side, but she held her tongue. Not only would it gain the dark haired kunoichi unwanted attention on her not so subtle crush, but it would also sound like Sakura was bragging about her new abilities.

However, not even two minutes later when Hinata activated her byakugan, Sakura was so glad to have the woman by her side.

Hinata's eyes suddenly widened as she spun around to face them, her eyes going straight to Ino. "Ino–san… You're…"

"Sakura." the blonde whimpered in pain, immediately gaining Sakura's attention. It startled her when Ino collapsed against her, her body trembling and cries of pain escaping her. "_Sakura!"_

She didn't know what to do. All this time studying under Tsunade, activating her _byakugō_, it all felt like such a waste. With wide eyes, Sakura caught Ino, lowering her gently to the ground. Something was wrong. Something was incredibly wrong! This shouldn't be happening! Ino was supposed to be fine. Oh God. What had she done? Sakura had never regretted anything more than her decision to keep silent about the pregnancy.

"T–Try to stay calm, pig." Sakura whispered, raising shaking hands over the blonde's abdomen.

Sensing her panic, Shizune quickly took over. Honestly, Sakura wasn't experienced enough to know what to do. Whilst she was definitely on her way to surpassing Tsunade, she still had a long way to go experience–wise. Skills–wise, Sakura was almost there.

"Where are you hurting, Ino?"

"Ino!"

Sakura raised her hands to her hair, her eyes still wide with a mixture of different emotions. She only vaguely registered Choji rushing over to them, batting Oto–nin away from him like they were nothing more than flies. Shikamaru cursed, fighting even harder than before. Her body was shaking. Her hands just _would not_ stop trembling. The fear and panic that was swelling within her was something Sakura had never felt before.

Using only one hand, Sakura could count all the times she had had to heal her best friend and still, there were fingers left. It was rare for Ino to get injured. Just knowing that she couldn't push aside her emotions and help her best friend was like torture. It was ripping her apart on the inside. Just what the hell had she worked so hard for if she couldn't even heal her friend? Sakura could go through many healing sessions a day and never lose her professionalism. Medic–mode was a second nature to her and it was automatic how she slipped into it.

She watched as Shizune worked over Ino, the bright glow of green chakra illuminating the area around them. Choji was holding the blonde's hand tightly, wincing whenever she cried out. Hinata was standing not too far from Sakura, her hand raised to her mouth as she watched the chakra flow that was fluctuating dangerously with her byakugan.

And her?

Sakura couldn't do a damn thing other than stand there in shock.

Something slammed into her, knocking Sakura harshly to the ground, but she didn't even feel the pain. Her eyes were still glued on the sweaty, pale face of her best friend. Even when a kunai tore into her skin, she did not feel the pain.

But then the sight of Shizune's chakra flickering had Sakura fighting back.

Her chakra was running out.

Closing her hand around the kunai, Sakura's foot smashed into the Oto–nin's chest, ending their luck and once they were out of the way, she was stumbling forward.

"Sakura, I–"

She ignored Shizune, her hands rapidly forming seals. The seal that had only just returned to her forehead was once again being undone, startling Shizune. It shouldn't be possible! But then again, Sakura had been storing her chakra for many, many years now. There was no telling how large her reserves were now.

"Ino, stay calm and look at me." Sakura told her seriously, placing her glowing hands over Ino's stomach. "Don't look anywhere else."

The damage was bad and because Shizune had removed Ino's flak jacket, Sakura could see the blonde's wounds. They should really change the colours of their uniforms, she thought grimly. Green wasn't an easy colour to pick out blood on, especially in the dark. Picking up on Ino's exhaustion, Sakura slapped her cheek, much to their surprise, earning her a glare from the Yamanaka.

"Tell me your best memory."

"The day…" She coughed, blood splattering onto her own lips, cheek and chin. That didn't bother Ino. She couldn't even feel it. "When we both finally… blossomed…"

A sad smile pulled at Sakura's lips, almost causing her to lose concentration, but she didn't. She had to keep going for Ino! "Is that you finally admitting I'm your superior?" The blonde had always hated that Sakura was a more skilled medic–nin and blamed it entirely on the early start. "It sounds an awful lot like you are."

Ino glared once more, anger pulsing through her veins. "Are you retarded? Of course… not! I'll a–_always_ be better than you!"

This time, a grin graced Sakura's features. Almost all of Ino's wounds were healed now, so she put all of her concentration into saving the baby. The baby who had not even been given a chance to live yet. Ino and Choji's first child. "You sure about that, pig? You haven't been up to sparring with me lately, so I've been thinking that you're too scared to–"

"I'm… _so _going to kick your ass, forehead!"

"Shizune–san," Sakura ignored Ino's growl, glancing up at the dark haired woman, "I need your help. I've managed to heal all of Ino's wounds, but I'm not sure how to go about…"

Nodding, Shizune joined once more in the healing after taking a soldier pill.

By now Ino was looking less exhausted, but her pain was still obvious, as was her fear and worry. And whilst healing, a part of Sakura was envious of the way Choji never left her side, refusing to leave her alone for even a second. Despite not being able to do anything more than murmur soft words to her and holding her hand, he stayed there. He was calming Ino down, making her feel comforted and safe. She quickly looked away and back to Ino's abdomen.

"You're going to need an examination once we return, Ino." Shizune told her sternly, doing one last check before both she and Sakura extracted their chakra, lingering for a moment to heal the last of Ino's wounds. "And no strenuous activities. Sakura, it looks like the battles have almost come to a stop. Please go and heal those on our side."

Silently, Sakura did as she was asked, going to the first two she saw. Sasuke and Naruto. Their battles had ended and neither said a word as Sakura got to work on Naruto's wounds. He watched her sadly. He hadn't missed her small breakdown moments before – nobody had. They had all seen it, but had been able to do nothing due to the enemies being so persistent. Once he was healed, Sakura turned to Sasuke, only to pause for a moment.

"I understand if you would rather have Hinata heal you. I would tell you to go to Shizune–san, but she needs to save her chakra for Ino."

For a moment, Sasuke was quiet, regarding his teammate as she kept her eyes on the ground. He wanted nothing more than to tell her that he hadn't wanted to treat her so badly. But just as his mouth opened to say the words, images of his father's disapproving face came to mind, looking down at him like Sasuke was nothing more than a weak, snot–nosed genin.

Just as Sakura was about to turn away to call for Hinata, taking Sasuke's silence as him still being angry with her, he grabbed her wrist and brought her hand to his chest. "Heal me."

Who cared if his father didn't like his teammate? Sasuke didn't like any of his father's friends. Hell, they couldn't even be classed as friends – they were clansmen.

"Sasuke, you bastard," Naruto growled, "what the hell kind of apology is _that_?"

Enough for Sakura. She understood that look in his eye.

"Shut up, Naruto." the both of them spat at the same time, earning them a shocked, disbelieving yell.

* * *

**A/N - Remember that ex I told you all about? Yeah, he's now 'sort of' seeing the girl who made it her personal mission to make my life at high school a misery. They're welcome to each other! Not even going to rise to it anymore because they're not worth it.**

**Can't say I'm not going to punch either of them in the face if I ever see them in person, but... Meh. I'm only human!**

**I really liked when Tsunade was screaming the medic-nin rules at Madara in the anime, so I decided to use it in this chapter. I hope none of you mind too much!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	7. Need

**Chapter 7 – Need**

It was silent after the Oto–nin had either been killed or captured. Only three of them had been placed under Shisui's paralysing genjutsu, though. Any more would be too great a risk and they only wanted to find out what they were after. The moment they arrived in Konoha, the three would be sent straight to Morino Ibiki and his interrogation squad. Sakura refused to think about what would be happening, even though it was childish of her to do so.

On their way home, Choji refused to have anyone other than himself carrying Ino, who forced down a blush at his attention. Seeing them together had been strange at first. Nobody would have pictured it, what with the way Ino always went off on him about his weight. Now she rarely said a word, but Sakura knew the blonde was keeping a close eye on Choji's diet. Not because she wanted him to be thinner, but because of health reasons. Choji ate _a lot_ for somebody his age and that was putting it nicely.

She stuck with her team on the way back, happy that Sasuke was no longer acting so cold towards her. No they weren't giggling and exchanging gossip, because that would be downright creepy for the Uchiha to do such a thing, but they were talking every now and then. Also, although Sakura was certain she had been seeing things, when she glanced over her shoulder, she could have sworn that both Shisui and Itachi were giving the younger Uchiha looks of respect and pride. However, the looks were replaced by indifference much too quickly for her to be able to tell.

It was around halfway home when the effects of the seal hit her.

A gasp of pain escaped her and Sakura stumbled on the branch she had just landed on. It was thanks to Shisui suddenly appearing next to her that she didn't fall to the ground below her. That would have no doubt made her pain ten times worse. Her muscles felt like they were burning and cramping and Sakura knew that this was only the beginning. Tsunade had warned her that it would be painful but this was just crazy! How could the blonde willingly allow this to happen so many times?

"Sakura–san?" Shisui asked, making the others stop in their movements and turn to face them. Itachi landed beside them silently, looking down at her with hidden concern. "What is it?"

"It will be the effects of the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu," Shizune informed them from her place beside Choji and Ino, the latter looking over her shoulder with worry. "Right now, Sakura is incredibly low on chakra and the after effects of such a jutsu are agonising. Tsunade–sama usually rests for a day or so before she is capable of moving around with ease. Sakura, you used that technique once, but you released your _Byakugō_ twice. That should not even be possible, as far as I am aware. For the next twenty–four hours, you are going to be experiencing the pain of your body adjusting to such a strain."

Kakashi regarded Sakura for a moment, watching as she squeezed her eyes shut and her body tensed further, until he looked over at Shizune. "Will she be capable of travelling?"

Reluctantly, Shizune shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Sakura needs rest right now. Continuing further will only add more pain and already…" She trailed off, sighing. "Tsunade–sama said that the first time is always the most painful."

Despite her pain, Ino chuckled slyly. "Are you sure she wasn't speaking about something else?" A disapproving stare was sent her way by many, causing her to roll her eyes and mutter "boring bastards" under her breath. Then, an idea struck her, making her bite back a grin. "Perhaps Sakura should stay here until she's able to move again." Ino shrugged. "And to keep her safe, maybe Shisui and Itachi should stay with her."

Silence.

Inwardly, Itachi was stunned and possibly even thanking the blonde, especially if the discreet nod she sent his way meant anything. Maybe this was his chance to fix things with Sakura? To tell her that he hadn't wanted to stand back and allow his father to speak to her in such a way – he had no choice! Ino wasn't as bad as everyone made out.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Neji asked from the front of their group, his eyes watching them impassively. "There is a history–"

"That concerns nobody but us," Itachi interrupted him coolly. "I can assure you that nothing will happen."

"Especially not whilst I'm around," Shisui added from beside him. "Missions always come first and until we have entered Konoha, this is still a mission. Itachi knows not to fool around."

The red flush of Naruto's face had many watching him warily, but just as he was about to lunge and snatch Sakura out of Shisui's hands, a hand landed on his shoulder. It was by no means gentle. In fact, it hurt and was squeezing him uncomfortably. Only one person would handle him in such a way. "Sasuke!" he growled angrily. "We can't leave our Sakura–chan alone with them! What if they do something to her? They're Uchiha!"

Somewhere in the background, Kiba muttered "idiot" and Akamaru barked in agreement.

On his shoulder, the hold tightened considerably, making Naruto yelp with pain. "Don't disrespect my clan, moron. They won't hurt Sakura." Maybe they'd even sort themselves the hell out!

"But we can't protect her from the village–"

"She doesn't need protecting." Kakashi sighed, noticing how Sakura was grimacing in pain but also growling with anger. She did not like being spoken about like she was weak. "If you continue speaking such a way about her, Naruto, you know that Sakura will be punching you straight back to Konoha."

Naruto paled and gulped.

"Besides, Sakura–san will be in too much pain to do anything of the sort," Hinata added softly, hesitantly. Her face flushed when the group looked at her questioningly. "I–I mean… to do what Naruto–kun is insinuating. Right now, what little is left of Sakura–san's chakra, is erratic. Like Shizune–san said: she must rest now otherwise her agony will only increase."

"Maybe somebody else should stay with her, then," Kiba offered, patting Akamaru's head. "We don't mind–"

"That will not be necessary," Shisui told him tonelessly. "Itachi and I are more than capable of watching over Sakura–san for the night. If it puts your minds at rest, however, you have my word that I will not allow anything to happen between them."

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously, ignoring the way Sasuke squeezed his shoulder warningly until he batted the hand away. "And you promise not to let Sakura–chan leave your sight?"

Many groaned at his question.

Glancing down at Sakura, who was not too far from him, Shino then asked, "Why don't we ask Sakura if she is okay with this? Why? Because she is the one who will be staying here the night with two others, not us."

"I–I don't care!" Sakura spat out between clenched teeth. "But thank you… Shino–san, for asking me."

Her hold tightened on Shisui and if he hadn't been who he was, he would have winced in pain. In response, he looked up at Itachi. "Perhaps now would be a good time to find somewhere to stay. Already the effects of the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu are beginning and seem to be extreme."

"Make sure to keep Sakura hydrated," Shizune told them seriously. "Also, she will need to replenish her chakra fairly soon."

"Why isn't she getting old?" Naruto asked curiously after a moment. "Whenever Tsunade–baa–chan releases her seal, she gets old and falls down, but Sakura–chan is only falling down!"

Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Kakashi sighed. "That is because Tsunade–sama does not have the chakra to keep up her henge jutsu once she has released her seal. Sakura does not use a henge, so there will be no difference in her appearance."

"Around four miles north from here, you will find a cave," Neji informed them. "Other than wildlife, there is nothing else there."

With a final nod, the teams began to move, but Team Seven stayed behind for a moment, watching the three. Naruto was still unsure, Kakashi was calculating and Sasuke was serious whilst also emotionless.

"Nii–san," he spoke after a couple of minutes, his deep voice just as serious as the look in his eyes, "look after her."

"Of course."

"Yeah and we'll know if you touch her!" Naruto exclaimed angrily, waving his fist in the air. "I've got a sharp nose, you know! And so has Kakashi–sensei. If you touch her–"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura growled warningly, glaring at him with eyes filled with anger and agony.

Exchanging one last look with Team Seven, Itachi and Shisui nodded before the latter held Sakura carefully and they disappeared.

* * *

It was silent and even a little awkward as Shisui kept Sakura standing while Itachi removed her pack from her back and rummaged through it for her sleeping bag. Luckily for him, Sakura was just as much of a neat freak as the rest of them, so it didn't take long. Once he had set up an area for her to sleep, Shisui eased her down as gently as possible into the sleeping bag.

They had both seen the effects of the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu and releasing the _Byakugō_, so neither Uchiha was completely lost on what to do. It was different for every user, however – despite there only being two living users who could use it. Tsunade only released her seal and used the jutsu if she had absolutely no choice, as the side effects were agonising and there were risks. One time, she had explained to the group who watched over her, "_I store an enormous amount of chakra in my forehead and using that chakra, I stimulate various proteins, increasing the cell division rate by many times and use that to restore all my organs and tissues. It's not a healing ability, but rather a regeneration ability. In other words, I can't die in battle!"_

However, Shizune had soon added to her explanation, saying, "_But the number of times that human cells can divide is constant. Speeding that up reduces one's lifespan_."

Itachi did not like the thought that Sakura was shortening her lifespan. Even if it was only by a few years, or only weeks since her injuries were thankfully not too extreme, she was still losing time. Time that could be spent with–

With him? Would Sakura even want that now after all that had happened?

It didn't matter. Even if Sakura no longer wanted him as her lover, Itachi would make sure she never used that jutsu again unless she absolutely had no choice. Tsunade had never gone into detail with her _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu, but he had learned enough to know that the more fatal the injuries are, the more time you would lose on your life. Say, for example, Sakura used it for a simple stab wound (even though she wouldn't), it would take off the amount of time it would take to naturally heal the wound. At least that was what Itachi had come to believe.

"Sakura–san, do you need anything?" Shisui asked after a moment of silence, kneeling beside her.

There was a thin sheet of sweat covering her, but not because she was too warm. It was due to her pain. "I need to replenish my chakra," her voice was hoarse as she spoke, but Sakura was no longer stuttering or needing to take such deep breaths in the middle of her sentences. "Usually, Tsunade–sama is unconscious for this part but…" She trailed off, not exactly sure how to explain how complex the _Sōzō Saisei_ was, for it was a forbidden jutsu that only she and Tsunade knew. Shizune knew, too, but she couldn't actually use it or the _Byakugō_. "She's used it more times than I have."

Knowing that she couldn't say any more on the subject, they decided to accept her vague explanation.

"I don't believe we packed any food," he answered honestly. "But I could always go and hunt–"

"My pack," Sakura cut him off, her eyes squinting for a moment. "Medical supplies. There should be a few ration bars in there. Tsunade–sama made them herself so they have all the nutritions and energy we'll need."

Neither bothered to correct that only she needed one.

Without saying a word, Itachi once again went through her bag, searching for the medical supplies she had been talking about. It took him a couple of moments to find it but the moment he did, Itachi quickly found the ration bars and took one out. Like Shisui, he knelt down by her side, carefully helping her to sit up before he handed it to her. There was a flash in her eyes when they connected with his, something warm, but it was gone not long after. Like she didn't want him to see that look.

This wouldn't be the first time he had looked after her whilst she was ill. One time, not too long ago, Itachi had returned home early from a mission to find Sakura had the week off from hospital duties. However, they did not use that time as they usually would. There was a certain jutsu kunoichi used to prevent pregnancy, but after every couple of months, said kunoichi would have to take a break from it. Continuous use of such a thing could lead to many complications, as some kunoichi experienced difficulty conceiving when used for too long. The damage was not permanent, but Tsunade would like to keep it that way so ordered every single kunoichi using the contraception jutsu to take a break from it.

That week had been startling for Itachi. The agony Sakura had gone through had _startled_ him. He lived with a woman, his mother, so knew all about menstrual cycles and whatnot, however his mother never experienced any pain with them – or showed any. Sakura did. She had cried, her stomach had swelled and no matter what, she just could not get comfortable. Due to being a medic herself, Sakura wasn't embarrassed with having Itachi there and he refused to leave her when she was in such a state.

She told him that that was why Tsunade gave her the week off. The woman knew how painful her periods were, due to Sakura's mother once having concerns and taking her to see a doctor. In response, Tsunade shrugged and said Sakura was perfectly healthy, merely unfortunate, and told her the jutsu that would stop her period for a while. However, after several months (four to five), she would have one period when she stopped the jutsu for one month. One was better than several, though.

So, Itachi did whatever he could to make her comfortable. From running to a chemist for painkillers (since Sakura couldn't exactly heal herself from menstrual cycles), to purchasing a hot water bottle and then ordering take out. It had been difficult sneaking around with all those things, but he had decided that he would take the risk. Seeing Sakura in such agony was not something he wanted to see.

As Sakura nibbled on her ration bar, Shisui stood up and nodded once to Itachi, sharing a knowing look. "I shall go and find some wood to start a fire."

"Wait… y–you don't have to! I'm fine, really."

She didn't want to be alone with him? Itachi couldn't even deny that it stung. After everything that had happened between them, he had thought she would be more adult about this, would want to fix what had been broken.

Standing up, Itachi moved to the wall not too far from her and sat down, leaning against it. "I will not do anything to you."

His voice was cold and Sakura realised she had offended him.

"Right," Shisui muttered awkwardly, looking between the two of them. It was odd, but he felt like a parent right at that moment in time, concerned that the two of them were going to kill each other while he was gone. Walking over to the mouth of the cave, he glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "Behave, _kids_."

And then he was gone.

Sakura sighed. "Itachi, I didn't mean–"

"It's fine."

Looking down at what was left of her ration bar, Sakura nodded.

"Eat, Sakura. You need to replenish your chakra."

It fell silent once more and unlike every other time it was quiet between them, this time it was awkward. Uncomfortable. And Sakura knew that it was entirely her fault. She hadn't meant to sound so against being alone with Itachi! It was just… she was scared. As pathetic and childish as it sounded, she was scared of being alone with him. She didn't trust herself around him not only because she had feelings for him, but because her body most definitely still wanted his. Also, she was scared of having _that conversation_ where everything ended. Many times Sakura had read that certain conversation in books or seen it in movies and she didn't plan on having it herself. There was always pain and tears and uncontrollable sobbing. She had done enough crying already! She just wanted this ache in her chest to go away.

Finally finished, she bit her lip, fidgeting with the wrapper. It would be best to wait until Shisui returned to be rid of it, so that she could add it to the fire, otherwise shoving the wrapper into her bag would leave crumbs everywhere and damn she hated those things!

"I had planned on killing my father." Over–dramatic of him, maybe, but that pain he had felt and still did feel was intense. He had wanted his father to pay for what he did.

At his sudden confession, Sakura let out a huff. "You wouldn't be the first."

"You think I am joking?" His voice was colder, harder.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly after a moment of silence, leaving his question unanswered. Sakura didn't want to know if it was true or not. "I mean, it's not like we're…"

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for her to distinguish it. "I don't know."

Hearing that he had planned on _willingly_ killing somebody, his own father, hurt her. Itachi had a pacifistic nature and only killed to protect his village and home. He didn't enjoy it and those deaths would always haunt him. "Please don't kill him," she whispered quietly. "I know he hurt us both, but he's still your father. Killing him won't solve anything. It will only… only get you into trouble."

And speed up his wedding to that woman so he could become head of the Uchiha clan.

"I know." Silence. And then, "Do you believe in second chances?"

She grimaced. "Itachi…"

"Not just for us," he told her. "For everyone. Sasuke. My father. Even my mother."

They all wanted to control him. Not Sasuke, but his parents did. Fugaku more so than his mother, but she had to go along with everything her husband said since she was his wife. Only to her sons was Mikoto a bubbly, motherly woman and even then it was rare for her to show it. Being matriarch of the Uchiha clan was draining, tough. She always had to keep up her emotionless mask. People thought that because she was a woman, she would be lively and playful, perhaps even loving (and don't get him wrong, because she could be loving), but the truth was, that only happened around Sasuke.

He had been forced to grow up much too quickly and had been focused more on his training than anything else, so had missed out on all the things a mother did for her child. It hurt Mikoto but she knew she had no choice but to accept it. So with Sasuke, she tried harder and did whatever she could to make sure he was happy. Growing up with Uchiha Itachi as your older brother was not easy, after all.

Even to his own parents, Itachi had always been aloof and distant. They didn't know how to communicate with him unless they were giving orders. So, for not knowing what else to do, he accepted it. Just like he accepted being shoved into ANBU. Just like he accepted that there had been a chance of an Uchiha Massacre if his foolish father continued being the power hungry man that he was. Itachi accepted that he would always be feared by others. And then Sakura came along and she didn't fear him, so he accepted her, opened up to her. But not long after, that all shattered as his father told them he did not approve.

That was something he could not accept.

For the first time in his life, Itachi was disobeying orders.

Spending time with Sakura was disobeying orders. Anybody else could have stayed with her – her own team – yet Itachi wanted, _needed_, to be the one to look after her. It seemed his younger brother was also discovering that their father was not the man he once thought he was. Like Itachi, Sasuke was also disobeying orders and for that, he had Shisui and Itachi's respect. No matter what he did now, they would stand by his side and defend him to the head of their clan. He was choosing for himself, just like Itachi had always wanted for him.

The day he learned that Sasuke would not be brought up the way he had, that he would be in Team Seven, Itachi approached Hatake Kakashi. Former ANBU captain to… Well, _still_ ANBU captain. He asked Kakashi to make sure Sasuke grew up with a mind of his own and not with a mind like the rest of his clan, who all followed orders without question. They were like mindless zombies. He wanted Sasuke to be different. He wanted to give his brother a chance at life.

"Yeah, I guess so. I've given Sasuke a second chance, right?" She smiled weakly, still looking down at the wrapper in her hands. "Losing you was hard enough, but then learning that I lost him, too? I didn't even know what to do or how to think."

Another thing Itachi felt overwhelming guilt for. One morning at breakfast, when he had reluctantly joined his _family_, his father had filled Sasuke in on what happened when asked about it. That was unusual. Fugaku did not answer questions. He gave them – no, he gave orders. It was as simple as that. But then Itachi realised what he had been doing, so had tried to argue with him that he could not tell Sasuke to avoid his own teammate! It was impossible and childish. It was safe to say that Fugaku did not appreciate Itachi's recent _rebellious attitude_, as he had phrased it. Then, he demanded that Sasuke stay away from weak troublemakers such as herself.

He did not.

Three months later and Sasuke continued going on missions with his team, continued going to training sessions, but Itachi had noticed a difference in him. He was colder, more harsh and especially towards Sakura, who honestly did not deserve that sort of treatment. It disgusted Itachi that his mother even accepted orders as being orders! Fugaku had planned for Sasuke to find her in tears, crying over their 'broken family'. Their family had never been anything but broken. Their clan was filled with lies and deceit.

Finally, just the other morning, Fugaku demanded that Sasuke left Team Seven and after finding their mother in such a state, he agreed without hesitating. To make his displeasure obvious, since Sasuke had always admired him and did whatever he could to please his older brother, Itachi had stared him down with obvious disgust, showing none of the respect that Sasuke had earned over the years. None of that respect was still there. Slowly, over three months (two, since Sakura returned from Suna), it had been fading away piece by piece and that morning a week ago, when Sasuke finally agreed, all respect for his younger brother had been blown out like a candle.

It pained him seeing the hurt in Sasuke's eyes, but Itachi stuck to his decision. He closed himself off from them all. He ignored Sasuke whenever he wished to train together, forcing him to realise that without his team, he was alone.

How could Sasuke so easily agree to that? Okay, it wasn't an easy decision, but he still agreed. That team had always been there for him. On the day Sasuke made chūnin, where had their father been? Busy. It had been himself, Shisui and Team Seven who had been there for him, congratulating him. On the day he made jōnin? Well, at least their mother had been there that time. Their father had been too busy with 'clan meetings'. To be fair, however, Mikoto had honestly been out of the village on the day Sasuke made chūnin.

Bonds were not something you severed so easily. They were supposed to be precious and by ignoring Sasuke, leaving him alone, he showed his foolish little brother just how it was for _him_. Itachi was a tool belonging to the village. Growing up, he had no genin team, no friends. He had Shisui there, yes and Itachi held that bond very close to him. If he was suddenly told one day that he was not to see Shisui anymore… Itachi wasn't even sure what he would do, but he would be angry. Then, Sakura came along. Other than his brother and possibly even his mother, Itachi had only two other bonds that meant everything to him.

Six years Team Seven had been together.

How could his brother be willing to throw bonds like those away? Did he not realise how truly lucky he was?

"He disobeyed."

Sakura frowned, finally looking up at Itachi questioningly. "What?"

"Sasuke. Our father ordered him the day after we… broke up," Why was it so difficult to say those words? It was odd thinking of them as boyfriend and girlfriend, but that was what they had been, hadn't they? Perhaps lovers was a better word, "to stay away from you. Sasuke refused and continued spending time with Team Seven. Although he may have been cold and indifferent towards you in the past month, know that it was because of my father. Not because he wanted to be."

"Ordered…" Tears threatened to fill Sakura's eyes and this time, it wasn't only because of the pain her body was experiencing. Knowing that Sasuke's father had _ordered_ him to throw away his bonds like they were nothing… "I don't even know what to say."

"Neither did he."

Turning her head away from him, Sakura glared at the wall. Part of her wanted to run straight back to Konoha and beat the shit out of Fugaku. Body aching or not, she was going to do it.

Throwing the cover part of her sleeping bag open, Sakura bent her knees, preparing to get up, but immediately cried out and doubled over, her head almost touching the ground. She clutched her middle tightly.

"Sakura?" Itachi called out from beside her, having gotten up the moment he saw her attempting to stand.

"I–It's nothing." She winced and a single tear slipped down her cheek, much to her annoyance. "The side effects have reached my organs. It's… m–more painful, now."

Cradling the back of her head, Itachi gently eased her backwards so that she was laying down. "Try to sleep, Sakura. You will feel better in the morning."

She shook her head stubbornly. "I–I won't be able to… to sleep when…"

"Would you like for me to place you under a genjutsu?" Itachi asked her, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She looked uncomfortable for a moment and realising this, no matter how badly he wished to hold her, he stopped the gentle caress, his hands dropping to his folded legs. "It will be as though you are sleeping."

Indecision was clear on her face. She didn't want to go to sleep. This time with Itachi was most likely the only time she would have left with him. Simply sitting in his presence, writhing in pain, was better than giving up this opportunity and never seeing him again. She didn't want to wake up and find that he had gone ahead of them to the village. That probably wouldn't happen, but she didn't want to risk it.

"No, I'll b–be fine."

"I will be here when you wake, Sakura." His voice was soft again, like back when they were still together and laying in her bed after making love. "As long as you need me, I shall be here."

Finally, after another grimace and grunt of pain, Sakura agreed.

She was out a mere couple of seconds after their eyes connected.

* * *

That had to be the strangest, yet most relaxing sleep she had had in a long time, Sakura thought as she stretched her arms high over her head and turned over. Smiling softly, her hand reached out to feel the warm body next to hers.

Only to feel the cold, hard ground of the cave.

Sakura quickly sat up, her eyes wide as she realised her mistake, but thankfully, neither Uchiha was paying all that much attention to her. However, there was a flash of something in Itachi's eyes. He was… wishing he was next to her? Sakura bit her lip and fisted the sleeping bag cover in her hands, staring down at it.

That sleep, it had been a genjutsu, meaning that Itachi had full control over what she saw unless he left it up to her own subconscious. Doing that was dangerous, though. Anything could have happened if it went after her fears instead of happiness or desires. Remembering the dream had her biting her lip even harder and knowing he had also seen it, considering it had been _his_ genjutsu, made her even more upset.

Angry? Possibly, if he had forced her to dream it.

Sad? Definitely, because there was nothing she wanted more than for it to be real.

Hurt? There was no question about it. That whipping was back in her chest.

"Sakura–san, are you feeling any better?" Shisui asked her.

No. No she was not. Her heart was hurting and her stomach was twisting and she just wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up again. That dream…

"Why?" she couldn't help but whisper, her eyes snapping up to Itachi's. "_Why_?"

"I was not in control of your dream, Sakura," he told her honestly. "That was your own subconscious telling you what you want."

A tear slipped down her cheek, splashing onto the sleeping bag.

She could still hear them. The sounds of their children laughing and playing around together. She could still see how beautiful they had all been, a perfect balance between herself and Itachi. And them? They had been happy, madly in love, and not afraid to show it. Together, they had all lived in Konoha. Not the Uchiha district, but Konoha and nobody had judged them and instead accepted their relationship. It had been… amazing. And Itachi was right.

She wanted that.

She wanted all of it.

"Sakura–san?"

Her pain had almost completely subsided now and considering that daylight was beginning to enter the cave, she would guess that it was around dawn. "We should get going," Sakura mumbled, climbing out her sleeping bag and turning her back to the two Uchiha. Rolling it up quickly, she shoved it into her bag, not caring about it being messy. It could be sorted once she returned home. "Tsunade–sama will want to examine me as soon as possible, to know how everything went and make sure there are no permanent side effects."

To them, Sakura wasn't even making sense, but Itachi could understand her sadness and need to get away from him. Seeing where her subconscious had taken her…

At first it had been of them making love, but after growing slightly uncomfortable, what with sitting next to his best friend, seeing Sakura dreaming about them having sex and hearing the occasional soft sigh that escaped her, he had steered her mind in a different direction. It turned out to be a mistake. The next thing her mind took them both to, was something far more painful. Them, married. Children. Many, many beautiful little children who all loved and looked up to them.

Shisui had noticed the pained look in Itachi's eyes, but had thankfully decided to stay quiet.

Sliding her pack onto her back, Sakura stood up, but immediately grabbed the wall for support when she stumbled. The two Uchiha men were on their feet in an instant. Holding back her grimace, she looked up at them both, but her eyes quickly moved away from Itachi's. She couldn't look at him right now. She just wanted to go home. "Shisui–san, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to carry me home. I don't think I can walk too far, let alone run."

Trying not to focus on his friend, Shisui nodded, inwardly sighing as he turned around and lowered himself. There was a pause where Itachi had gone to help Sakura onto Shisui's back, but when she flinched away from him, he dropped his hands and made his way over to the mouth of the cave.

"I will go ahead and report to Tsunade–sama."

This time, Shisui lowered his eyes to the ground sadly when Itachi disappeared. The hurt on his face had been unmistakable.

"Sakura–san, may I ask you a question?"

Sighing against his shoulder, Sakura nodded tiredly. "I guess."

"Why will you not hear Itachi out?" Shisui asked her quietly, his voice oddly comforting. Quickly ridding of any evidence of the three of them being there, he set off in the direction of Konoha. "I understand that he hurt you because of allowing his father to talk down to you, and Itachi understands that now. At the time he had been confused, torn between defending the man who had raised him into the perfect shinobi, despite there being no such thing, and the woman he cares for."

She had never noticed before how alike Shisui and Itachi were. They were both geniuses who disliked killing, but did so anyway for the sake of their village. "It's not that, Shisui–san," Sakura told him quietly, her voice a low murmur in his ear. "I want to hear him out. Really, I do. But seeing him… It hurts _so much_."

The faint tremble startled him, as he had no idea what to do to comfort her. He was a shinobi, had been raised just as strictly as Itachi had been. Well, maybe not just as strictly, but since he was also a prodigy, there were many expectations of him. "Don't cry," Shisui told her, tightening his hold on her. "Please–"

"I love him!" She buried her face into his shoulder, inwardly screaming at herself to calm down. The dream was still playing in her mind though and it was killing her. "More than anything. We never… Our relationship up until the last few months had been nothing more than friends with benefits. And I know that it was wrong! But I didn't want to end things, no matter how badly others would look down on us. I didn't even realise I love him until the day Fugaku…" Like his had, Sakura's hold also increased in strength. "It makes me feel so… jealous and sick, thinking of that woman in his home. _In his bed_. It's childish and pathetic, I know that, but whenever I think of Itachi, I immediately think of him as being _mine_. Not hers, not Fugaku's, _mine_."

Once more, Shisui's eyes lowered to the ground. Whenever he had spotted Sakura around Konoha, she had always looked incredibly busy and for a while, he wondered if she was even bothered about the relationship. However, it seemed feelings had finally caught up with her now that she couldn't shove those thoughts away anymore with work. She had no choice but to think about them.

"What do you miss the most about your relationship?"

There was silence for a moment. "I miss the connection. Not sexually. Emotionally. I miss… having him there. As my friend, as somebody I can open up to. I could ask Itachi anything and he'd… he'd never judge me. He'd answer as best as he could."

Realising she was becoming more upset by the second, Shisui inwardly sighed. Perhaps another talk with Itachi was needed. "Rest, Sakura–san. We will be back in Konoha in no time."

* * *

To say that Tsunade hadn't been pleased with her would be an understatement. Her actions, in the blonde's eyes, were incredibly reckless and unnecessary. Sakura didn't care. Her team returned safely. Itachi, too. And once her examination was over, Tsunade had given her another chakra replenishing bar, watched her eat it completely before informing her that she was to have the week off and use absolutely no chakra. That was fine. She just wanted to go to bed and never move from it again. Right now, her dreams were better than her actual life.

No, she was not suicidal. It was just plain facts. The dream version of herself had everything, whereas her life was falling to pieces.

After a long, hot shower and collapsing on her bed, Sakura glared up at the ceiling.

Around about this time, Itachi would turn up. It was sad that her heart and body kept believing it would happen, no matter how many times her head screamed to them both that it wouldn't, that she was being stupid and foolishly getting her hopes up.

She closed her eyes with a sigh.

Being around Itachi was not easy – not that she had thought it would be. Not only did it hurt her, it also made her feel things she should no longer be feeling. Actually, no. She had every right to feel those things. They were how their relationship started! Lust. Sakura was lusting after Itachi. She had never gone this long without him making love to her and after being together for quite a while, her body and heart had grown used to having him appear at her doorstep and showing her just how much he missed her. And despite all the hurt, Sakura wanted that. She wanted all of him.

What was she supposed to do? Seeing him hurt too much, but she was also craving having his body moving against hers. The only thing stopping her from making a move last night was the fact her body had been way too sore and Shisui could have possibly returned. That's not even adding the awful fear of being rejected. Itachi was engaged now. He wouldn't even answer back to his father to get his point heard in case he came across as rude and disrespectful. Cheating on your fiancée was definitely not respecting her.

But that didn't make those feelings or those urges go away.

A knock on her door caught her attention and even though it was only three knocks, she growled with annoyance. Who the hell was bothering her now? Couldn't they sense her horrible mood? If they could, they should leave her the hell alone! Knowing that wouldn't work however, she dragged herself out of bed, slipping on a baggy shirt that had once belonged to Naruto as well as a pair of her shorts, before making her way over to the door.

She had a shirt of all teammates, now that she thought about it. Even one of Sasuke's.

Perhaps she should put it on and go visit Fugaku? Seeing his reaction to her wearing the Uchiha emblem would be downright hilarious.

Knocking. _Again_.

"All right, damn it!" she snapped angrily. "I get it!"

All but yanking the door open, Sakura glared at the person who had been so insistently knocking, but the moment she realised who it was, her eyes widened and her glare dropped.

He came back to her. Like he always did.

"You said we could talk once the mission is over," Itachi stated flatly, giving her a blank look that practically dared her to shut the door in his face. "We _are_ going to talk about this. I–"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Sakura suddenly dragged him into her home, the door not even shut before she was slamming him against it, her lips capturing his in a desperate and fiery kiss that took his breath away. There was so much need in the kiss, telling Itachi just how much Sakura had missed him and he could only respond with the same need and more.

Hands fisting in his dark hair, she arched into him, sighing when Itachi lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping tightly around his hips as they were turned around and this time it was _her_ back being slammed into the door. The hold on her thighs was bordering painful, but that didn't bother Sakura in the slightest. All she could think as his growing arousal pressed against her was that this was _not enough_.

"Move us to the bedroom," she breathed, her head tilting back and a moan escaping her when Itachi's lips attacked her neck.

He didn't even need to look to know where he was going and the journey was quick.

They fell onto the bed together and the sounds of clothes being removed, forcibly _shredded_ from their bodies, only vaguely reached her ears.

It was a good thing she had put Naruto's shirt on. If it had been Sasuke's, she would have nothing to piss Fugaku off with.

When he finally, _finally_, entered her, Itachi was not gentle. She didn't want him to be. Their caresses were rough. She scratched his back to the point of drawing blood and in response, he nibbled and held her so hard, so tightly that it hurt. But the pleasure of his hips knocking into hers almost violently overshadowed any pain. The wet slapping sound of their sweaty, writhing bodies colliding was all she could hear. Well, that and his grunts and moans of pleasure in her ear. Like always, his pleasure increased her own.

He didn't climax with her when she reached her first orgasm. No, Itachi spread her legs out wider and continued, but eventually raised them until they were over his shoulders, making Sakura throw her head back in ecstasy, her walls fluttering around him. Her hold on her sheets was unyielding and when one of her strong hands grabbed his arm, Itachi knew there would be bruises later that day. He didn't care.

Sex had never been so rough between them before.

It had been too damn long.

The build up to her second orgasm wasn't as quick as her first, the coil within her was slowly tightening and making all feelings intensify for Sakura. It seemed Itachi picked up on that feeling as he released his bruising hold on her thighs and sat up, dragging her with him until she was seated in his lap, her legs wrapped around his hips once more. Pressing his forehead to hers, he watched as Sakura's eyes fluttered closed, as her mouth fell open, enjoying the feeling of her hips slowly rolling into his. They were still desperate to feel one another, but they were also desperate to feel that intimacy they had before their break up.

It was stronger than ever before.

"I missed you," she panted, fisting his hair as her hips bucked out of time, but then loosening it a moment later. "I shouldn't have reacted that way."

He silenced her with a kiss, his hands on her hips and aiding her with her thrusts. "You had every right to be angry with me."

She smirked against his lips. "I kind of did. And now you're going to have to make it up to me."

With one hard thrust, Sakura came undone a second time, clutching onto Itachi like he was the only thing keeping her there. She could see nothing other than him. She could hear nothing other than his breathy moans. She could only feel his body. Itachi held her against him, helping her ride out her orgasm. It wasn't the first time she had reached climax without him. There were some perks of being a shinobi after all (other than being able to protect your loved ones, of course). High stamina. With a little bit of food and water in between every other round of love making, so that he didn't get too exhausted or dehydrated, Itachi was capable of going _all night_.

Many times he had proved that fact to Sakura.

Panting heavily, she collapsed against him. The hold he had on her was loving and warm. The kisses he pressed against her neck after brushing her hair out of the way were soft and tender. He rolled his hips up against hers in a slow grind, gently bringing her down from her high.

"Sakura," he whispered into her hair until leaning back and brushing an affectionate kiss to her lips, "please know that I did not intentionally hurt you with my genjutsu. I was unsure of what you would want to dream about, so I allowed your subconscious to take control." Pain flitted through her eyes and in response, he pressed his forehead to hers again. "At first, you were dreaming of something like this, only, we were in your kitchen."

The blush on her cheeks deepened. Those damned dreams again! Why did they have to return? And Itachi had seen them too! Oh, Gods. To say that she was embarrassed was an understatement. "They've been coming to me for about two months now," she told him sheepishly, her eyes fixated on his chest as Itachi ceased his slow thrusts. "But they're always memories," she bit her lip. "I… I _really_ missed you."

When he sensed that she was about to cry, Itachi gently shushed her, stroking her lower back and drawing soothing patterns on it.

"Not just the sex, but I did kind of miss that, too." She smirked, but a moment later it faltered and she shut her eyes. "I missed this. Our connection. You make me open up at the strangest of times!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. This really was an odd time to open up to each other, but they were an odd couple. Wait. Did this mean that they were back together?

"Sakura–"

"I shouldn't have broken things off with you!" Sakura told him quickly, her arms wrapping around his neck and bringing him impossibly closer. "I shouldn't… It was wrong of me to blame you. I _don't_ understand clans and I definitely don't understand your father, but I do kind of understand _you_. My anger and h–hurt was… It took over me and I acted impulsively. I'm so sorry!"

Lowering her backwards onto the bed again, Itachi placed more affectionate kisses along her skin, wanting to take the pain away. "Do not blame yourself as it was not only your fault. I know how my father can be and I should have prepared you better. I should have stood up for you."

She looked up at him, smiling shakily as he wiped away her tears. "I'm guessing… Shisui–san spoke to you, too?"

Her smile was infectious. It always had been. "Indeed."

"It's a shame he doesn't know Ino all too well." Sakura rolled her eyes and then sighed with pleasure as he rolled his hips against hers once more. "They'd be a fearsome pair with their m–matchmaking skills and… and…"

Itachi smirked, continuing with his agonisingly slow and deep thrusts whilst his fingers played with the button between her folds. "And what, Sakura?"

"I want you to be with me," she uttered without meaning to, but was too lost in the sensations he was bringing to her to take any real notice. "Only me."

His smirk slipped away into a small, loving smile as he completely lowered himself against her. "Sakura." Her eyes looked up to his, hazy and half–lidded with lust. "I have been trying to tell you this for a while now, but something always came up and interrupted me." He could see that she was more alert now. "I love you and would be honoured to spend the rest of my life with you, if you will accept my proposal."

Surprise. Disbelief. Happiness.

Love.

"But, your father–"

"Does not matter."

"On one condition: we tell each other _everything,_" Sakura told him seriously as she sat up. "No more secrets. If we want this to work, we need to be one hundred percent honest about what we're expecting out of this relationship. Our pasts. What we want for the future. The present… we'll take one day at a time." Flipping them over so that he was on his back and she straddling him, Sakura guided him to her entrance once more. "Starting with _now_."

* * *

**A/N – I feel like I rushed the ending a little here. But, what better way to make up with the one you love than to have make up sex? I can see Itachi and Sakura doing that. Wait, that makes me sound like a pervert...**

**Oh well.**

**There's something in this chapter that I _really_ hope you all pick up on. It's going to be kind of, _very_, big. And important. If you think you know what it is, tell me in your review! You'll find out if you're right in the next chapter ;-)**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**

*****Some of you asked if talking through sex is actually a thing that people do and I can shamelessly admit that yes, it is. For me it is, anyway.**


	8. Surprised

**Chapter 8 – Surprised**

They kept good on their promise and a month on, Sakura finally felt like her life was getting back to normal.

The only people who knew of their relationship were Shisui, Ino, her team and Tsunade. The latter knew because they needed her help with something. So that she and Itachi could spend time together, Tsunade gave him false missions during his days off, pretending to be sent out of the village when he was really with Sakura in her apartment. Sometimes, they really did leave the village for the day and relaxed together in the forest, enjoying the scenery and peace. Sasuke and Shisui were also doing everything they could to get Fugaku off Itachi's back about the arranged marriage. Sasuke wasn't entirely okay with the relationship, but after seeing the happiness in their eyes, he reluctantly agreed with project "_screw up the bastard's plan"_. If it wasn't obvious, Naruto was the one to name their secret mission.

It had honestly surprised her when Tsunade helped them out, but remembering her speech not too long ago wiped any surprise from her mind. No matter how cold or harsh she seemed, the blonde was a sucker for romance. Not the mushy kind, but the real kind. She had told them they had true love and they were supposed to fight for it, they were supposed to cling onto it and never let it go. So they were.

She also told them that, if it was possible for her to do so, she would intervene with the marriage, but she couldn't. Since it was an arranged marriage between two Uchiha, she could do nothing about it. It was a clan affair and had nothing to do with her unless it proved to be a danger or threat to the village.

Also, to try and prepare her for when they next visited Fugaku as a couple (they were putting it off for as long as they could, since Sakura wasn't ready), Ino was giving her advice on what to expect. The blonde was from a clan, too. No, it was not as large or as powerful as the Uchiha clan, but she knew enough. Itachi also gave her the odd tip every now and then, but often murmured to her that he would rather she be herself.

The things Itachi had opened up to her about were heartbreaking. Absolutely crushing. He started with his first kill (although she had already known about that), then went on to his training and missions with Shisui. That hadn't been so bad, as Shisui had guided him and took care of him like he was his younger brother. It was when it got to Itachi entering ANBU that she broke down. The missions he had been sent on, not only killing, but also the seduction ones, killed her on the inside.

What sort of village sent a thirteen year old boy on a seduction mission? It was just so wrong. However, for shinobi, there weren't many laws. If you were old enough to kill, you pretty much old enough to do anything. Oh, Gods, but hearing about the things that had happened to him…

It made her hate Fugaku even more deeply.

His stories made her life seem so easy and that's not even bringing up how close he had come to going through with an order to annihilating his own clan. Thankfully, through sheer chance and luck, Sarutobi Hiruzen had kept Shisui behind for a while to speak with him, which led to Danzo being found out somehow. Due to it all being strictly classified, Itachi was not allowed to go into full detail. All that could be said was that Danzo had paid severely for the wrongs he had done.

Two weeks ago, Ino and Choji had gotten married and were currently on an extended honeymoon. It had been a beautiful wedding that she unfortunately had no date for, so she had stuck close to Sasuke and Shikamaru for the night since the latter, like her, he was also involved in a secret relationship. Naruto had finally asked Hinata out once he realised he would never have a romantic relationship with Sakura. Sasuke was Itachi's brother and still supposed to be avoiding her and Kakashi hadn't even turned up. No surprise, there. He didn't really enjoy formal events and having to dress up.

Like her relationship with Itachi, Ino's pregnancy was also being kept a secret from her parents as well as Choji's.

"What is your worst memory?"

Glancing up at Itachi, she began to set the table. They had once again gotten takeout but that hardly mattered. It was actually healthy food! Sort of. Despite the fact she was a medic, Sakura often enjoyed eating unhealthy food. It was like a guilty pleasure of hers. Just like Itachi secretly (not–so–secretly) enjoyed dango.

They had agreed to tell each other everything, from their deepest and darkest secrets, to little things like favourite colours or books. Some of the things they spoke about in the past month weren't all that important and others would think them strange to have gone into so much detail, but neither wanted to risk any more nasty surprises. They wanted the other to know everything about themselves. Even if those things were awful, haunting memories. In fact, Itachi felt so much better having such things being let out after bottling them up for so long, even if he couldn't go into full detail with half of his horrifying memories being from ANBU missions.

"Worst?" she repeated with a frown, one that only deepened as Itachi nodded once. "My first chūnin exams." Seeing him raising an eyebrow out of the corner of her eye, silently telling her to continue, she sighed. "Everything had gone from bad to worse. First there were two Suna–nin threatening Konohamaru – if you haven't guessed already, I'm talking about Sabaku no Gaara and his siblings. Then, there was Orochimaru. I'm sure I don't have to go into detail about _that_." Biting her lip for a moment, Sakura turned to face him fully, leaning back against the table. "I was scared, weak and alone, left to look after my teammates who were both unconscious."

Inwardly, Itachi scowled. Of course he remembered the first chūnin exams Team Seven had ever taken. Not only had Suna teamed up with Orochimaru, but also Sarutobi Hiruzen had died in battle against his own student.

"I was completely on edge, so much so that every little noise made me jump and then I was being attacked by Oto–nin who had come after Sasuke. The battle had been awful, especially when Lee–san got involved and I truly realised what a pathetic excuse of a kunoichi I was." She gave a small smile. "But I suppose it's also a good memory, too. Too bad those two idiots were unconscious to see how badass I was, cutting my hair off like it was nothing. Do you know how painful that actually was? I hadn't been able to wash it in like two days and the tangles all got caught and it felt like I ripped it out more than cut it."

Itachi chuckled, helping Sakura with dishing out the food. He couldn't deny that he could see himself doing this every day. Returning home from a mission, greeting Sakura as not only his lover, but also his wife and hopefully mother of his children, before they settled down for a quiet meal. Itachi was not one to fantasise, at least not about things like starting a family, but since Sakura's dream, he had been having those thoughts more and more often.

And in all honesty, it was so bizarre. Just the other morning when he had woken up with Sakura sleeping peacefully by his side (Itachi had been made happy by the fact that he slept an entire night without awful nightmares jolting him awake), he imagined her round with his child. It had been a pleasing, yet surprising thought, but Itachi could truly see something like that happening. Call it gut instinct or something similar to that, but it was like a part of him knew that one day, Sakura was going to approach him with the news of carrying his child.

Itachi would be lying if he said he was not looking forward to that day.

"How was your day?" he asked as they sat down at the table.

"You're very chatty today, Itachi." Sakura smirked and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

Savouring the contact, as he always did with her, Itachi smiled down at her. "Perhaps so, but is it wrong of me to ask how your day was?"

"It was tiring." She suddenly groaned, turning back to her food. "All I could think about all day today while in the hospital was my bed and how comfortable it had looked this morning."

He blinked. Sakura was not a lazy person, so it was odd hearing her state she was feeling lazy.

After murmuring their thanks, they dug into their food and Itachi couldn't help but chuckle quietly at how fast Sakura was eating. When he had transported into her apartment with takeout, however, he had discovered that Sakura hadn't eaten all day, much to his disliking. It was most likely the reason behind her sluggishness, too.

"You never told me how _your_ day went."

"You did not ask."

"Oh. Well, how did it go?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sakura whilst they both continued eating, but he could tell he somewhat had her attention. Right now she seemed a little too occupied with her food, though. "I sparred with Shisui for a while before Tsunade–sama gave his team a mission to prepare to leave for tomorrow night. They are heading to Oto's borders to investigate certain reports that he failed to explain more fully about."

"That's strange," Sakura replied after swallowing her food, taking a gulp of her water to wash it down with. "He didn't mention anything at all?"

"Other than sightings of Yakushi Kabuto, no."

"Kabuto?" she demanded, seeming horrified. "But I thought he was dead?"

"Exactly. Which is why Shisui has been sent to investigate. If his team requires back up, my own squad will be sent out."

Sakura bit her lip worriedly. "You'll be careful, won't you? Do you want me to teach you any medical jutsu just in case? Because I can! That freak can heal himself before he's even injured!"

He gave her a soft smile. It was honestly nice having somebody like Sakura fussing over him. "That will not be necessary, Sakura. You have already taught me basic medical ninjutsu and my Sharingan copied the seals so that I will not forget."

She had? Oh. "I'm just tired. Not enough sleep last night," she mumbled sheepishly and turned back to her food. "So what about after your sparring match with Shisui?"

"Sasuke found me, asking to train."

"You said yes, didn't you?" Sakura sounded a little distracted, but he thought nothing of it.

"Of course."

"Good, because I think he's really sorry about being so cold towards me and I _also_ think it really hurt him having you act that way towards _him_."

Itachi sighed, calmly taking a couple of bites into his food before replying. "Although my actions were harsh, they taught him the value of bonds, had they not? Sasuke now knows that Team Seven will always be there for him, even when our clan is not. Blood is thicker than water, yes, but sometimes, you can not only rely on your blood relatives."

But his words went ignored.

She chewed once. Twice. And then a third time. Something about the taste was definitely off! Glancing down at her food, she dropped her chopsticks and tore the chicken in half effortlessly with her fingers, frowning when she saw that it was, in fact, under-cooked. Her stomach lurched and by her side, Itachi paused, watching with a frown as she suddenly shot to her feet and dashed through her home, collapsing in front of the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach.

It took Itachi a moment to realise just what had happened, but as soon as he heard her retching, he was behind her, holding her hair out of her face and rubbing her back soothingly.

The only time he had seen somebody he cared for sick in such a way was the time Sasuke had caught a virus when he was younger. At the time it had only been the two of them in the house, which wasn't all that strange as only months after Sasuke was born, Itachi was given the job of babysitting him, despite only being a child himself. The moment a seven year old Sasuke began to throw up, Itachi would admit he had been a little scared, not really knowing what to do. His younger brother had been sweaty and panicked, never been sick before in his life, and because of this, he felt as though he couldn't breathe and grew even more panicked. It had taken Itachi much longer than he would ever admit to calm him down.

For a while, they had sat together, twelve year old Itachi doing whatever he could to comfort his little brother. Sasuke had been sick for an entire week back then and Itachi had never felt so helpless before, but also, he felt so normal, too. Sometimes, he wished life could still be as easy as it had been back then.

Wait. Easy? Uchiha Itachi's life had never been easy.

Her arms rested against the toilet seat despite the medic in her screaming that it wasn't hygienic of her to do so. Sakura ignored that part of her as she rested her clammy forehead against her arm, groaning miserably. Stupid chicken! At first she hadn't been able to taste it completely, for she had been shoving it down without a second thought, but once her conversation with Itachi continued, she had forced herself to slow down so that she wouldn't end up spitting food everywhere or making herself choke.

Just the thought of the chicken had her throwing up once more, her stomach muscles clenching and unclenching painfully.

"Breathe, Sakura," Itachi ordered calmly, realising she was taking deep, panicked breaths in between each retch. That was exactly what Sasuke had done and it ended up with him collapsing from lack of oxygen and dizziness. Standing up straight for a moment, he opened the window, allowing a cool breeze to fill the bathroom, much to Sakura's delight. The smell did not bother him as he had smelled much worse in his line of work. "You are panicking."

There was a strange sort of hiccuping sound when Sakura sat up straight, her eyes closing and allowing the breeze of cold air to dry her sweating face. Her face was still incredibly pale, though, even for her and Itachi did not like it at all. Once she had flushed the toilet, Sakura stood up, quickly brushing her teeth to rid herself of the awful taste. Her head then fell against Itachi's chest, a deep sigh leaving her.

"My stomach hurts."

Her muttered words caused him to pause for a moment. "Stomach cramps? I thought you were not due to pause the contraception jutsu for another month or so?"

This caused Sakura to tense suddenly against him. "I meant cramps from throwing up, but now you've reminded me…" Her hand came up to her hair, her eyes widening as she leaned back to look at Itachi. "I was ordered to pause the jutsu early after using the _Sōzō Saisei_. Shit! Itachi… I…" The look in her eyes was absolute fear as she tightened her hold on him. "I forgot to redo it after the week of being ordered not to use my chakra. I wrote down when to pause and restart the jutsu on my calendar when I first got it, but this time I had to do it early!"

He was unable to form words.

"I didn't know that we would be getting back together!" she practically yelled, tears filling her eyes. "I didn't expect you to come visit me, let alone…" Sakura sobbed once. "I'm sorry. I'm so, _so sorry_!"

For the first time in who knows how long, Itachi was stunned into silence.

Finally letting go of Itachi, Sakura closed the toilet seat lid and sat on top of it, breathing as calmly as she possibly could. It was no use, though. She was terrified. Itachi looked as though he had gone into shock and she had no fucking idea what to do. They were not married. Yes, they were secretly in a relationship, but the child would be a bastard. That was _if_ she was even pregnant. It really could have been because of the chicken!

She closed her eyes, her tears falling freely down her cheeks. No. It was not chicken. Despite it being early into the pregnancy, Sakura could already see many of the signs. Exhaustion, sore and tender breasts, hunger. Sickness! The latter had started much earlier than she had expected, as Ino apparently hadn't been sick once and she was going into her second month now. But she knew it was different for everyone.

Oh, Gods. What was Itachi thinking? Did he think she was trying to trap him? It looked like she was, even Sakura could admit that! He was officially engaged to another woman and their wedding was in a few short months.

"_Fuck_!" she cursed, her head falling into her hands as she sobbed.

But then, Sakura was surprised by gentle hands pulling her own away from her head and when she looked up at the man kneeling in front of her, she bit her lip harshly. Itachi seemed to have snapped out of his shock and… there was a look in his eyes that told her he had been _expecting_ something like this to happen. What?

"Are you upset?"

Sakura stared at him with disbelief. "Of course I am! We're not even married, Itachi. Do you have any idea what the villagers are going to say about us? This isn't proper or traditional and… I've made such a mess of things!"

Her reply seemed to upset him, for a look entered his eyes and whilst she couldn't explain exactly what she saw, Sakura knew that it was a negative look. "Are you unhappy with carrying _my_ child?"

There was a double meaning to his words, she noticed after a moment of silence. The silence dragged out, filled with nothing more than them staring each other down.

"Itachi–"

"I am around the age to settle down, Sakura and I will not lie to you that I have found myself hoping for a moment such as this one."

"But your clan–"

"They do not matter."

"Stop interrupting me!" she snapped, glaring at him fiercely. Itachi had to hold back a smirk. This was the Sakura he enjoyed seeing the most. Unsurprisingly enough, she was the only woman, or girl, to stand up to him in such a way. Not even his mother did. At least, not in such an explosive way. She would calmly argue with him, which was nothing like Sakura. "What are you going to tell your parents now? We've disrespected them so badly by doing this. You disobeyed! You're going to get into _a lot_ of trouble and that's putting it lightly."

Again, silence. Itachi seemed to be thinking something over seriously. "Then I will pass down the title of being clan heir to Sasuke."

She shook her head, seeming utterly shocked. "Don't say things like that to me, Itachi. The last time we went to visit your parents, you didn't even stand up to your father. You're like his golden boy. He will _never_ accept you dropping the title."

Much to her surprise, Itachi actually shrugged. "Sasuke deserves it much more than I do. He has worked hard to surpass me in hopes of gaining our father's respect."

"And you think that _giving_ him the title is going to earn him that respect?"

"Perhaps not, but if he defeated me, then possibly."

Once more, Sakura was shaking her head. "Itachi, it hurts me admitting this, but Sasuke is nowhere near close to surpassing you in skill or experience. Your father knows that and so does Sasuke. If you let him win, he'll never forgive you and he will never accept the title until he can truly beat you with nothing but his own power."

He didn't answer, knowing it to be true.

Sighing, Sakura dropped her head to his shoulder. "I want nothing more than to be the mother of your children, Itachi, but this… It's all so sudden," Much more quietly, she added, "and kind of cliché."

"Cliché?" he repeated, sounding uncharacteristically confused.

"Yeah."

"How?"

Her hands stroked his arms gently, having pulled her hands free of his. "I've read a book about something a little similar to this, only it was a love triangle between a princess who was destined to marry a prince from a foreign land, but she was in love with one of the servants working at the palace. Sort of like with us, she allowed the servant to take her virginity and soon discovered that she was pregnant with his child."

"Did you finish your book?"

Sakura nodded. "It wasn't a happy ending."

* * *

**A/N - Short chapter, I know! I'll make up for it with the next though. This just wouldn't get out of my head until I wrote it down and before I knew it, it was done!**

**Most of you guessed right last chapter. Hahaha. Am I really that predictable? ;-)**

**Oh! Somebody said last chapter that it was kind of quick, him proposing during sex. I agree with that, hahah! However, Itachi also said that he'd been trying to tell her that for a while now, he simply kept being interrupted by many different things.**

**How do you think the clan is going to react?! How will Fugaku react?!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	9. Scared

**Chapter 9 – Scared**

She was shaking.

Nobody but themselves knew of her pregnancy and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if this was how Ino had felt when she found out she was pregnant. It wasn't nice having to hide it from everyone. And the scared feeling building within her also was not nice.

Itachi had asked Tsunade only to send him on missions where he was absolutely needed for personal reasons and with that vague explanation, Sakura was certain the blonde knew their predicament, especially if the look she gave her later that day meant anything. She looked a little disappointed, but at the same time, she looked happy, too. Odd. Oh, Sakura stayed away from Hyuuga clan members, too, but mostly Hinata and Neji. They knew her well enough to ask about the pregnancy or, if they believed she did not already know, inform her on it so that she would go and get examined.

Her team was unhappy with her. For the past month, she had not been turning up for training sessions. Naruto had attempted to all but drag her out of the house, but had been startled when Itachi seemingly appeared out of nowhere, glaring down at him with an ice cold stare. Sasuke had literally had to pull the Uzumaki away before he got himself killed, silently wondering just what the hell was going on for his older brother to suddenly become more possessive and protective of Sakura.

They knew for definite that she was pregnant and the day their unborn child had been conceived was the day they decided to get back together.

Sakura still felt like an idiot. She was a medic! How could she have forgotten about something as important as contraception? There were two points working in her favour, though. One: she had paused the jutsu early and it didn't match the date on her calendar (which was her menstrual cycle calendar), so she got confused, which was okay, because everyone made mistakes and got confused from time to time. Two: all medics made mistakes. Nobody wanted to hear that they did, but they did. Medics were human, too, and like Kakashi had told her, they all made mistakes. Perhaps three points were in her favour, actually.

Watching as Itachi stepped out of the bathroom with a towel hanging low on his hips, Sakura couldn't help but bite her lip. Point three working in her favour: how the hell was she supposed to ignore someone like _Itachi?_ Her body was already beginning to heat up and he hadn't even looked–

No, no he had.

She was a goner.

Itachi inwardly smirked while glancing at Sakura. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope." Were hormones even supposed to kick in yet? Or was this simply her usual reaction to seeing him? "Just a little warm."

"I see." He didn't believe her for a second and that only multiplied as Itachi walked towards her. This time he outwardly smirked when Sakura slowly backed up against the table, her wide eyes watching his every movement. In a way it kind of made him feel like a predator and she was his prey. Itachi leaned closer to her, his nose softly brushing against hers. The gasp that escaped her sent shivers down his spine. "Are you sure?"

"Mm–hm." Sakura's voice was a little higher and Itachi noticed the slight shift of her hips and thighs, noticed the white knuckled grip she had on the edge of the table. When she spoke again, her voice was nothing but a whisper, "Positive."

It was always amusing to tease her, Itachi thought as his lips hovered above hers. He wasn't really the type to tease unless it was his younger brother or Sakura. On the odd occasion he would joke with Shisui, but in reality, they were both serious men. The only time they could sit around and relax was when they knew for definite that Konoha was safe. "I think you are lying to me, _Sakura_."

Closing her eyes, Sakura whimpered. She had never felt so needy before! Well, except for when they returned from that mission not even two months ago. _Gods_, time was flying by and Sakura did not like it. She wasn't showing yet, but the bump was forming. It had been Itachi who noticed first when they had been making love, as he seemed to have memorised her body in his mind and could see every little difference in it. He had regretted pointing it out when her fist had almost hit him square in the face. Not exactly a romantic thing to do whilst making love, but having Itachi pinning her down had been exciting to say the least.

A hand grazing her thigh instantly had her all of her attention and inwardly she was screaming for it go just that little bit higher.

But then it stopped.

She growled.

He smirked.

"Are you going to tell me what is wrong?"

Eyes snapping open, Sakura glared openly at Itachi. He was unfazed. Itachi had to be the only guy who didn't back down to her anger. It was rare for Sasuke to do so, but he had his moments where he would. Even Kakashi did. So far, Itachi was the only one who actually tried to anger her. He was the only one to enjoy his results because he could stop her from inflicting any pain.

"You're a smart guy," she told him through clenched teeth. "I don't need to tell you."

A sigh reached her ears. And then those tempting lips were even closer, brushing against hers ever so slightly, but not enough to be considered a kiss. "Perhaps I enjoy teasing you."

She couldn't stop her hand from running through his wet hair and the silky feeling of it made her feel envious. It always had. "Well then, you're _not_ a smart guy," her voice dropped to a whisper, her legs shifting apart so that Itachi could close the distance between their bodies. He did, much to her delight and once he had, Sakura's other arm snaked around his shoulder, both now entangled in his dark hair. To make her intentions more clear, she arched into him. "Itachi…"

His 'flawless' self–control was slipping and she inwardly rejoiced. "What is it you want, _Sakura_?"

_No!_ Sakura groaned. "Itachi, you know I don't like dirty talk!"

Once again, he was smirking. "You did the other night."

"That's different!"

"Oh?"

Shutting her eyes again, Sakura sighed. "I need you."

At her whisper, Itachi raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "I didn't hear that."

"You're not usually like this," she couldn't help but snap, feeling her patience wearing thin due to her need. "Normally you're just as eager as I am."

"Perhaps I wish to take my time with you?"

"Can you take your time tonight, because I'm getting rather uncomfortable."

Both suddenly went rigid, although Itachi recovered more quickly. No shocker there. "Kakashi–san, I did not sense your chakra." His eyes narrowed a fraction as he glanced over his shoulder. "Or hear you knock."

Kakashi shut his book with a sharp snap and stood up from his place on the sofa. Even with his mask covering the bottom half of his face, Sakura could clearly tell that he was smirking and that smirk only widened at her flushed features. "You were both distracted," he said with a shrug. "I came to tell you, Sakura, that Naruto and Sasuke have been getting extremely impatient and, in Naruto's words, he is very close to hitting breaking point if you don't join us for training. He said, and I quote, '_if I have to take on that damned Uchiha Itachi to get my Sakura–chan back, I will_'. Something tells me he misses you."

A grimace settled over her features as Itachi finally pulled away, heading towards the bedroom so that he could get dressed. "I can't."

This seemed to confuse Kakashi. "You _can't_?"

"No."

"Did something happen?" he inquired, looking her over for any wounds. "You're not injured."

When Itachi returned, this time dressed and his still–damp hair in the usual loose ponytail, he was the one to speak. "Forgive me, Kakashi–san, but I cannot allow Sakura to train."

Kakashi's single, uncovered eye narrowed suspiciously. Was he attempting to control her? Itachi hardly seemed the type to do so. He would get bored of any girl he could walk all over and clearly enjoyed riling Sakura up, so he wouldn't force her not to train unless he had a good reason. "And why is that, Itachi–san?"

"I'm pregnant," Sakura confessed quietly, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she continued to stay seated on the table, her legs swinging anxiously like a child's. "Around two months."

"When we returned from the mission–"

"…Yeah."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't say I'm happy about this, but as a friend, I _am_ happy for you both. You _do_ realise the amount of trouble you're both in, don't you?" Sakura nodded quickly, looking away. Once again Kakashi sighed. "Who else knows?"

"Nobody as of yet," Itachi admitted but unlike Sakura, his voice was sure and even. "We were intending on telling my parents soon."

"Make sure it's before Sakura starts to show," Kakashi warned him seriously, once again eyeing Sakura although this time, his eye hovered on her stomach before going back to Itachi's blank features. "They won't be pleased if they hear about this through gossip."

Sakura bit her lip harshly. "They're not going to be pleased anyway."

And he honestly couldn't help but agree with her, or feel sorry for his former student. Sakura looked terrified! Yes, she was sure about Itachi, but a child? Was Sakura even ready for something as big as that? They weren't even married yet! Disapproval was something that they were both going to receive a lot of, but mostly her. It took two to have sex – obviously – but she would receive most blame due to Itachi being clan heir. It made absolutely no sense to Kakashi, however, that didn't mean it wasn't true.

Due to him being clan heir, Itachi could get away with a lot of things. He never took advantage of those perks, though. Well as far as Kakashi was aware of he didn't. Fugaku could argue that Sakura had been warned to stay away from Itachi, that their relationship was not approved of therefore, it could not continue. That wasn't even bringing in the fact that Itachi was engaged to another woman! They would say that, as a male, he was tempted. Complete bullshit, in Kakashi's eyes, as it would be impossible to tempt Uchiha Itachi into doing something he did not want to, but Fugaku would do anything to keep his clan viewed as honourable and proud. There was no honour in infidelity.

"Sakura, I don't think you understand just how serious this all is."

Her eyes weren't the only set to narrow. "I–I don't…"

"Itachi is already engaged, isn't he?" It made him regret asking as the look of pain flitted across her face, but she still nodded. "Meaning what?"

"An affair," she replied quietly, tears filling her eyes. "But that's not true! We were together long before _she_ came along!"

"That's not the point." Kakashi sighed patiently and placed his book into his pouch, his hands instantly going to his pockets once freed. "Even if she doesn't care all that much, the other woman – what's her name?"

"Kana."

Kakashi nodded once in thanks. "Kana–san _will_ look at some form of revenge, even if she doesn't care about being with Itachi. To save face, I guess. Nobody likes being made out to be a fool, especially not women. They get nasty and violent with men, but with other women…" He shook his head. "Just watch your back, Sakura. I'm not threatening you, I'm warning you. I may not know Kana–san, but like any other woman, I'm sure she can feel humiliated. If your roles were reversed, how would _you_ react?"

Not for the first time, Sakura grimaced. It was unfair of her to do so but Sakura knew she would attack the other woman. Not because she necessarily wanted to hurt her, it was more like instinct – if that even made any sense. Yes, a part of her _would_ want to hurt that woman, to make her experience the pain _she_ was experiencing, but since Sakura knew she would be unable to do that unless stealing the man back, she would settle on using her fists. Like always.

"Do I even need to answer that?" Sakura sighed, obviously not liking her own answer.

"I will not allow any harm to come to Sakura, Kakashi–san."

"And when you're away on a mission?" he retorted coolly. "You can't be together every second of every day. I've never been in this position before – with a pregnancy, I mean – so I don't know how you're feeling. I get the gist, though. You're possessive, want to be there to make sure nothing can go wrong, but that's naïve, Itachi–san. I never thought I would be saying these words to _you_, of all people!" His small chuckle disappeared not even a second after it started. "Your skills are needed, Itachi–san. One day you _are_ going to be sent out of the village and if you're keeping Sakura's pregnancy a secret until after your wedding – which I presume you are – then Kana–san will not know anything about the pregnancy. Nobody will."

Well now she was more than terrified! Sakura didn't even want to leave her house anymore. What if something happened to the baby? She wouldn't say that she was overly attached, but Sakura _did_ like the thought of carrying Itachi's child. However, what if Kakashi was right? What it she was attacked because of what they had done and she lost the baby? Oh, Gods…

Sensing her rising panic, Itachi sighed. "Please do not fill Sakura's mind with such things, Kakashi–san. We will be speaking to my parents tomorrow and I am not being sent on any missions."

"That you know of. You're ANBU, Itachi–san. I know how that works."

Even Itachi would admit that his way of thinking right now was naïve, but what else was he to do? He wanted to be there every minute of every day, just like Kakashi had said. Not only to keep Sakura safe but to also make sure that he didn't miss anything. But–

Wait.

"I will retire from ANBU."

Silence.

"You–"

"Retire from ANBU?" Sakura practically demanded as she cut off Kakashi, feeling as though she had been viciously shoved out of her self–pity. "Itachi, your father–"

He cut her off with a gentle smile. "I never wanted to enter ANBU in the first place, Sakura. I did so because my father ordered me to. Honestly, I would have rather stayed at jōnin."

ANBU just wasn't for him, Sakura realised sadly. And if that asshole of a father, Fugaku, had realised that, too, then Itachi would have never been hurt the way he had been. He wouldn't suffer as much as he did. There would be no nightmares, no awful flashbacks that often made him fall silent, made him stare into space with an expression she had seen on men twice his age. Itachi shouldn't be as haunted as he was. It just wasn't fair and she hated Fugaku so much for what he did to his own son!

Kakashi seemed to be having the same thoughts. "Are you sure, Itachi–san? I can speak from experience when I say that it isn't easy going from s–ranked missions to simple a–ranked or b–ranked – sometimes not even those."

"Simple." Sakura scoffed. Need she bring up the whole Zabuza and Haku incident? That certainly hadn't been simple. Then again, that was completely different.

He ignored her. "Also, you may have to take a genin team filled with snot nosed brats. One being an idiot, the other being arrogant to the point where everything has to be done his way because he's _never wrong_ and the last is a know–it–all with a vicious temper."

Like he had been hoping, Sakura got angry. "Kakashi–sensei, I'm going to rip all your precious books to shreds–"

"He's gone, Sakura."

And as the smoke in her living room faded away, Sakura realised that it was the truth. How she had failed to hear the sound of his signature pop, she'd never know. Like she had thought only moments ago, only Itachi got her angry and stayed behind to deal with the consequences. Oh there was no question that she was going to go through with her threat when she next got her hands on Kakashi, but…

She growled.

"_That bastard_! I am _not_ a know–it–all!"

* * *

She was incredibly popular today, Sakura thought with a groan, getting off the sofa from her comfortable position curled up against Itachi.

After Kakashi had left, Sakura had realised what Itachi had told her: they were going to see his parents tomorrow. Oh, it was safe to say that she had almost ripped him a new one! _Tomorrow_? She was nowhere near ready for that! She wasn't prepared. Sakura knew she would never be able to go through something like what happened before, again and she had warned Itachi that, but he promised that he would stand by her this time. The previous time, he had been too stunned to actually do anything.

Sasuke had the tendency to do that, too, Sakura realised with a grumble. The first time somebody had told him "no", he had looked outraged, utterly shocked. Had nobody ever said that to him before? Were the Uchiha brothers just as spoiled as she had been when her parents were still alive? It was a rather amusing thought. At the same time, it would explain so much. No, it wouldn't. If they were really so spoiled, Fugaku would not have pushed them so hard, but maybe being spoiled was a reward of sorts for their hard work? Whatever. That old man had a screwed up mind, anyway.

The knocking increased, making her growl. Damned Uchiha!

Yeah, she knew exactly who it was and made her displeasure obvious as she all but ripped the door open.

"Don't look so pleased to see me," Sasuke grumbled, entering Sakura's home. He paused at the sight of his brother sitting on the sofa, reading a book. It was so weird seeing him there, relaxing like that in Sakura's company and home. "I came to inform you that our father is planning on bringing the date of your wedding forward."

"You are going to be an uncle, Sasuke," Itachi told him in reply, not even looking away from his book as he turned a page.

There was no doubt who had the more surprising news.

Silence.

And then, "Are you kidding me?"

Sakura shook her head nervously.

"Shit." He chuckled humourlessly, surprising them both. Itachi finally glanced up at him to see Sasuke running a hand through his hair. "Everything always has to be so dramatic between the both of you! You can never do anything like normal people, can you? You got the order wrong. First, you find a girl. You marry said girl. _Then_ you knock her up!"

"I know this already, Sasuke."

"You better be there for her this time, Itachi," Sasuke warned him darkly, his hand lashing out in Sakura's direction. "I don't mean just for the pregnancy. I mean when you're telling our parents." Sakura was completely stunned that he was actually defending her in such a way. In fact, Sasuke looked livid with his older brother. "The state you left her in the last time was bad enough, but if you leave her again whilst she's pregnant with _your_ bastard child because you can't keep it in your pants, I swear I'll never forgive you. As annoying as she is, Sakura doesn't deserve something like that." He sidestepped her flying fist with ease. "I'll know if you chicken out again."

Chicken out? Itachi thought over the words for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together lightly, but not enough to show much more of a reaction to his words. _Chicken out_? He was no 'chicken'. "I am not afraid of our father."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Prove it."

Closing his book, he placed it down beside him on the sofa, tilting his head to the side and regarding his brother with a patient look. "And how should I do that?"

"Tell him. Today. Right now."

"Sakura is not ready–"

"She's not ready, or _you're_ not ready?" Sasuke cut him off, his fists clenching before he calmed himself and a smirk slipped over his lips. "I never thought that you would be a coward, but right now, that's all I'm seeing. You're hiding here from our father, avoiding him."

This time, Itachi's eyes narrowed and Sakura bit her lip worriedly. What would she do if a fight broke out? She couldn't see Itachi losing his temper to the point of attacking, but what if that did happen? As an only child, she didn't know how competitive siblings were or how often they fought. Was this normal? Did Sasuke and Itachi speak to each other like this all the time? Fidgeting with the hem of her shirt once more, Sakura looked between them. Sasuke, she could probably stop if she surprised him, but then again he knew to expect something like that from her. And then there was Itachi…

Oh who was she kidding? They'd stop if she jumped in the middle.

So she did just that.

"Don't start fighting," Sakura warned them both, glaring down at Itachi and then turning her head to the other side to give Sasuke the same look. "He's telling the truth, Sasuke: I'm not ready to face your father again. Not after the last time. The things he said to me were harsh, yes, but when he started saying things about you, that's when _I_ got nasty and I don't like being that person."

"You defended me?" Sasuke asked in shock and all anger vanished from within him. "You stood up to my father because he…"

She nodded sadly. "I could handle him talking about me like I wasn't even there, but the moment he said something bad about you, it was like I snapped. You're my best friend, Sasuke. I couldn't stand to let him talk about you like that. It's the reason why I went off on him like I did. If he hadn't said a word about you, I probably would have left without saying a thing, but…"

"I didn't know," he muttered, his eyes glued onto the ground and his eyebrows knitting together. "I had no idea that _that_ was what happened."

"Our parents have been lying to you Sasuke."

He seemed pained. "Even our mother?"

Reluctantly, Itachi nodded. "Father most likely ordered her to lie to you, as he had ordered her to be found by you whilst in a state of distress. You know she cannot disobey him. She never has and never will."

Noticing that he was in shock, Sakura gently guided him over to her sofa, sitting him beside his older brother while she took her original place at Itachi's other side.

"No matter what I do," he chuckled bitterly, glaring down at the ground, "I'm never going to be good enough for him, am I?"

Part of her wished she hadn't said a word, but if the look Itachi gave her meant anything, he believed it was about time Sasuke learned the truth. It was painful for him, no doubt about it, but it hurt him even more to see his younger brother almost kill himself because of pushing himself so far just to please their father. How many times had Sakura had to heal him after training? Too many times. More times than Sasuke would ever admit.

"That is just who are father is, Sasuke."

"I suppose I should thank him in a way," Sasuke said after a moment. "If he wasn't who he was, then I wouldn't have pushed myself so hard. I wouldn't be as strong as I am today."

"Exactly!" Sakura exclaimed, her fist punching the air, but quickly calmed herself down when he shot her a strange look. "Sorry," she chuckled sheepishly, "my hormones are already beginning to attack."

He rolled his eyes. "Great. I didn't think it was possible for you to become more emotional than you already are." A pause, and then, "So, you're really pregnant?" Sakura nodded, smiling softly. "How far along are you?"

"Two months," Itachi answered for her and they were surprised by the look in his eyes. It was warm, happy. He was proud. "Which is why I forbid her to continue training. The early stages of pregnancy are the–"

"I don't want to know," Sasuke told him honestly. "But you really should go and speak with our father today. He's seriously planning on bringing the date of your wedding forward."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, not liking the sound of his brother's words. "How soon?"

"And why?" Sakura added.

"He's noticing that you're never around, Itachi." Not for the first time, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Like I said: you're avoiding him and you're hardly being discreet about it. Out of spite he's bringing the date forward. Some time next week, I think."

Sakura's stomach dropped, but when it picked back up again, she felt that awful twisting again. Not the one where she was in pain…

"Oh, Gods." She was out of the living room and in the bathroom in a second.

Itachi paused, glancing down at Sasuke. "…Morning sickness."

"Already? And it's afternoon!"

He sighed. His foolish little brother had a lot to learn.

* * *

"We're actually doing this?" Sakura whispered as they entered the Uchiha district. Unlike before, they were not keeping any distance between them. There was no silence. No, this time, they were _showing_ that they were together.

When leaving her home, Itachi had surprised her by holding out his hand to her, grasping hers firmly as they walked the streets. It had been so nerve–racking seeing all the stunned looks following them, but as they passed Ichiraku's, there had been a head of shockingly blond hair sticking out, followed by a loud, "_it's about damn time you showed her off_" before Naruto wished them luck and went back to his ramen like he hadn't said a word. It meant a lot to Itachi that Naruto hadn't even warned him about defending Sakura this time, as he seemed to already know that the Uchiha would do that and more for her. He was grateful for that.

"We are."

She bit her lip nervously, watching as many Uchiha turned in their direction, some watching in shock and disbelief, others in outrage. There was no doubt in her mind that Itachi's engagement to Uchiha Kana was not kept a secret. He was clan heir so of course everybody in his clan knew. Like the first time, Shisui, who had returned from his mission yesterday, spotted them, but he didn't seem shocked. He seemed proud and nodded once to Itachi, giving Sakura a smile.

They had all been able to lip read what he silently said to Itachi.

"_No matter what the clan or anyone else thinks, know that _I_ approve._"

Forget the Uchiha clansmen looking at them in shock, as after Shisui's words many looked furious with them, although they were mostly elderly people, whereas some younger girls, about a year or two younger than Sakura, watched them with respect. They clearly did not agree with arranged marriages, either and Sakura was sure she was seeing things, because out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sasuke keeping close by. Before leaving her home, he had told them that even if they don't want him there, he was going to be in the house, ready to defend Sakura if Itachi failed to.

Her stomach was churning horribly and she couldn't even tell if it was morning sickness or nervousness. "How are we doing this again?"

Glancing down at her, Itachi gave her hand a soft squeeze. He wasn't showing any reaction towards all the people staring at them because honestly, he didn't care about them. They did not matter. "I will be introducing you as my fiancée." She tried her hardest to hide her reaction, she really did, but Itachi picked up on her alarm easily. "Sakura?"

"I kind of brushed your proposal off as a heat of the moment kind of thing," Sakura admitted in a whisper with a blush. Even though they had now entered a more secluded part of the district, there was no telling who was around. When his eyes turned hard, she quickly continued, "I was _climaxing_, Itachi! I could barely even see straight. Asking me to marry you, whilst we're having sex, wasn't the smartest thing you've done."

Itachi came to a stop and due to his hold on her hand, Sakura also stopped. "What do I have to do–"

"You don't have to do–"

His actions cut her off as he released her hand and raised both of his, stunning her for a moment. With wide eyes, Sakura watched as Itachi reached behind him and removed the necklace from around his neck, the one she had never seen him remove before. No matter what he was doing, Itachi was _always_ wearing that necklace.

"Haruno Sakura," Itachi murmured, stepping closer to her as he placed the necklace around her neck, watching how it fell to her chest, "I promise to protect you, honour you and cherish you, every day, for the rest of our lives." Her eyes were still wide as he brushed the hair from her face, gazing down at her seriously. "Will you marry me?"

There was a blush on her cheeks, knowing that somewhere behind them, Sasuke would be watching all of this, but funnily enough, the moment Itachi started speaking, the moment she felt the warmth of his necklace on her chest, all other thoughts left her mind. There was only the two of them stood there. No, it was not the most romantic of places to propose, but it felt right.

A smile graced her lips as Sakura glanced down at the hand once again holding hers. Compared to Itachi's hand, hers was small and dainty and she loved how his hand held hers, how such a simple gesture made her feel incredibly safe. "Yes," Sakura whispered, her blush increasing. "I will."

Not even a second later, a hand was cupping her chin and tilting it upwards so that Itachi could kiss her softly, tenderly. However, knowing that this was neither the time nor the place to delve any deeper, they broke apart, silently telling each other that they would celebrate later that evening.

"That was better." Sakura smirked, kissing him one last time before they set off. "I could actually focus on your words this time."

Itachi also smirked.

And then, much too quickly, they were outside his home. Her heartbeat sped up, her breathing quickened and the nervous churning of her stomach returned.

"Sakura," he spoke softly, "when do you wish to get married?"

Seriously? He was seriously asking her this right now? _Right now_ when she was about to _throw up_? "I don't know."

"The sooner the better, I would say," Itachi told her with a smile, once again looking down at her. "Wouldn't you?"

The fact that he was so calm soothed her, allowing her to take deep breaths and it occurred to her that that was what Itachi had been trying to do. Calm her down. "A month?" Sakura asked. "That's not too soon, yet not too far away."

Itachi smirked at her and nodded once. "I suppose I can wait that long."

Entering his home felt just like the first time they did as a couple, only this time, they could sense both Mikoto and Fugaku in the kitchen. When they walked into the room, hands clasped in a show of affection, they stood as proudly as possible, ignoring the warning look Fugaku immediately sent his son. Mikoto seemed incapable of doing much other than standing there with a blank expression.

"Father, it no longer matters if I have your approval," Itachi told him and without even giving his father a chance to reply, he continued, "Sakura is with child." His mother's indifferent mask broke, her eyes widening with a mixture of different emotions, but the two could clearly see the pride in them. Itachi was finally standing up for himself and proving he was more than just a tool. "She is carrying _my_ child and I refuse to abandon her. I have asked for her hand in marriage and we _will_ be married by the end of the month."

Fugaku's face flushed with anger as he stood up, towering over Sakura easily, although there wasn't much difference in his height when compared with Itachi's. "Itachi–"

Before any of them could react, Sakura stepped forward and raised her hand to him, palm facing upwards. "Fugaku–san, please forgive me for the way I reacted not too long ago. It's not exactly a secret that I have a few anger issues. However, if you will take my hand, I can prove to you now that our child will not be weak."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously until he nodded once, allowing Sakura to take his hand.

"I'm not far into my pregnancy," she murmured, channelling her chakra through his hand as she placed it over her stomach, "but as you can feel, the life energy…"

"He's strong." He seemed stunned as he stared down at her stomach and in truth, he was. Never before had Fugaku felt something such as this! To feel the life of a child within the womb was definitely strange, but there was an odd feeling swelling in his chest. This would be his grandchild. His first born's child. Once Sakura had carefully extracted the chakra from her womb, Fugaku pulled his hand free and folded his arms over his chest, regarding the couple before him. "I am not pleased with your sudden rebellious attitude, Itachi and I am also not pleased that you went behind my back, whilst you are engaged, no less, to impregnate this kunoichi."

The heir sighed, glancing down at Sakura for a moment. "This was not planned, father."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "We were just as shocked as you."

"Then how did this happen?" Mikoto asked from beside Fugaku. Like her husband, she had mixed feelings about all of this. Even though she knew neither would plan such a thing, it did seem rather convenient for Sakura to fall pregnant now. "You are a medic–nin, after all."

"She is," Itachi agreed with his mother. "However, once Sakura activated her _Byakugō _and used the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu, her body must rest, meaning she had not been able to keep up with the jutsu most kunoichi use to prevent pregnancies. Sakura is not the only one to blame. I am just as guilty for allowing my emotions to get the best of me."

His face was blank as he spoke, his voice firm yet toneless. He was stating facts, not looking for their approval. And it irked Fugaku. "You do understand that you have disrespected your fiancée by continuing a sexual relationship with–"

Cutting him off with a mild glare, Sakura told him, "It only takes one time, Fugaku–san. Our relationship ended the day you got involved. After returning from our mission not too long ago, however, we–"

"Fell into bed together?" he demanded coldly.

"Yes," she answered simply. "Things happen. You don't know your son as well as you believe you do, because Itachi is so much more than an emotionless tool waiting for your orders! And Sasuke is no different. He may look up to you, may admire you and always try his best to earn your respect, but even Sasuke has been discovering what an awful man you can be. I'm not calling you a terrible father, as there are worse out there, but if not for Mikoto–san, who knows how your sons would have grown up!"

Part of Mikoto smiled softly for the praise, as it was always nice to hear you have done a good job in raising your children, but another part of her scowled. This was her husband who was being spoken down to and as his wife, it was her job to defend him. But… Perhaps by not doing so, Fugaku would understand the pain he had put Sakura through when Itachi had not been able to defend her.

"We didn't plan on any of this to happen. No matter how badly I want to be with Itachi, no matter how much I love him with all my heart, I would never purposely do something like this! Having a child does _not_ bring a couple together and fix their problems and I'm not going to lie, Itachi and I are definitely not perfect. Our relationship is by no means perfect. But neither is yours. Nobody is perfect. If you focused on that more than how to gain more power, you would realise that, too."

"As I said before, I do not care if I have your approval," Itachi told his father once more. "However, I would like to have it. From both of you, not just you, Father. I want to hear Mother say it herself. I want it to be _her_ opinion, not yours."

Mikoto honestly had no idea what to say as all three glanced up at her. As matriarch, she had to be silent through most discussions unless she absolutely had to talk. She could not argue with Fugaku, no matter how badly she wanted to. At least not in front of other Uchiha or their children she couldn't. In private, she could. He was her husband, so she had to obey him. They had not married because they loved one another, but over time, Mikoto would be lying if she said she did not fall in love with the man. He was the father of her children, after all.

"Mother?"

Not looking at Fugaku, Mikoto took a deep breath before smiling at the two of them. "As your mother, you have my approval. I can see that you are genuinely happy with Sakura–san and all a mother ever wants is for her children to be happy. As matriarch of the Uchiha clan, though, I do not approve of the way you have gone about this. We are a traditional clan, Itachi. That includes waiting until marriage to be intimate with the one you love. Giving yourself to Sakura–san before marriage is–"

"I did not give her my virginity, mother," Itachi murmured, his eyes growing more guarded, but at the same time, he felt it was finally the right time to tell his parents just how difficult being a tool for their village truly was. It was time to tell them of all the sacrifices he had made. "It was one of my first missions for ANBU when I became sexually active, but not willingly. It was for the sake of the mission and since I was brought up to believe that we are to do everything for our village, I accepted this. And the many times afterwards."

Tears filled Mikoto's eyes as her mask dissolved completely. It was a mother's worst nightmare hearing that their child had been raped. That was all he had been. Itachi had told her it was one of his first missions, meaning he would have only been thirteen. Her stomach lurched terribly. "Itachi…"

"Why did you not tell us?" Fugaku demanded, his own mask slipping and revealing he was just as startled. Itachi was his son! He was powerful. This should not have happened. "You–"

"My body is a tool for the village," Itachi stated without emotion. "It always has been. With Sakura, however, I feel as though I can be myself around her because she understands and does not judge me."

This only made the tears fall faster down Mikoto's cheeks. "You, too, Sakura–san?"

No, they were not all that close, but after Sakura's parents had passed away, Mikoto had been keeping a close eye on the girl, just like she did for Naruto. His mother, Uzumaki Kushina, had been a dear friend to Mikoto and whilst she didn't know Sakura's parents all too well, there had been times when she stopped to say hello and have a pleasant conversation with Mebuki. Their children were on the same team, after all.

"Only once," she admitted quietly. "But, Fugaku–san, that doesn't matter! This is why I am so against arranged marriages. If Itachi truly wanted to be with another woman, I would accept it. But he doesn't! How is what you're doing any different to what Itachi had been ordered to do? He doesn't want to be with this woman, but he knows he will have to produce an heir for the sake of the clan. Just like he had to use his body for the sake of a mission. It is not any different. Please don't do this to him! _Please_."

They were shocked by the beg in her tone, as she stared at Fugaku with pleading eyes.

"I promise I will look after him as a wife should. If you want me to retire from being a kunoichi to become matriarch, I will." As long as she could continue working in the hospital. "I already know that I am capable of having children, for all kunoichi are tested to see if they would need the contraception jutsu. I am already carrying his child. Just… Don't do this to Itachi. After all he's been through, don't you think he deserves happiness?"

Fugaku's jaw clenched as his eyes fell to the ground and if they were shocked by Sakura's begging, they were utterly floored by his reaction. Never had Fugaku ever backed down. And that was exactly what he was doing by breaking eye contact. He was backing down.

He was accepting their relationship.

"You will never have my full approval as matriarch of our clan," he muttered to them after a couple of minutes, "but you have my approval for being my son's wife."

Nobody had ever seen Sakura smile so brightly.

"Sakura–san, may I ask you a question?" When Sakura looked up at Mikoto and nodded slowly, a pained expression flitted across her features. "Sasuke… You…" They were all stunned that she couldn't find the words. "You're his teammate. Has he…?"

"No."

The voice stunned everyone except Itachi, who had known his younger brother was in the hallway. He had promised to stay nearby in case things got out of hand.

"I was asked to do many seduction missions," he told them as he entered the kitchen fully with his usual arrogant aura, "but I refused. I always refuse them. After seeing the state Sakura came back in after her mission with Kakashi, I wanted no part in those missions. I don't want to be a guard for the kunoichi who will be raped. I do not want to be the one who will be raped. Selfish, but true. And nothing will change my decision. I'm not Itachi. I'm not a one hundred percent selfless person." He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I never will be Itachi, Father, and I don't want to be.

"I thought he had it easy, what with being clan heir and getting so much praise. Ever since I was old enough to walk, I followed him around, asking him to train me. Even to this day, I still ask for him to train with me. However, these past few months have taught me something. About myself. About Itachi. You. Our clan as a whole." A bitter chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. "We're not perfect. As hard as you try and make us look as though we are, Father, the Uchiha will never be perfect. We're insane! Inbreeding has caused so many problems, yet you were trying to force my older brother into marrying our cousin. That is another thing I want to tell you. I'm not marrying anyone you choose." Again, he shrugged, smirking at their stunned expressions. "I honestly don't even see myself settling down whilst I'm still an active shinobi. I don't want to."

To say they were all shocked would be an understatement. Never before had Sasuke said so much and never before had he spoken to his father in such a way. Every time Fugaku had tried to interrupt, Sasuke would glare at him and cut him off. Sakura had to bite back her grin. It was about damn time!

"Sasuke, you are still young, perhaps now you do not want to find a suitable woman to marry and produce children–"

"Produce." Sasuke scoffed, cutting off his father. "You're making it sound like we work in a factory, Father. Like children are nothing more than tools we're _producing_." Glancing up at Itachi, he raised an eyebrow. "I hope you change our clan's ways when you become head. Make it better. And _for fuck sake_, make the inbreeding stop! It's downright disgusting."

Sakura actually burst into laughter.

Itachi smirked.

Mikoto was still shocked, which only increased by her son's foul language.

Fugaku did not look amused.

"Itachi will do no such–"

"I will," Itachi interrupted. "If I become head of the clan, I will be changing the clan's ways otherwise I refuse. The title can go to Sasuke. Wasn't what happened over ten years ago enough for you, Father? How close we came to becoming–"

"Stop it," their father snapped, his face flushing with anger. "That is strictly classified–"

"What is?" Sasuke demanded, glaring at the three, but when he saw Sakura look down at the ground, he glared at her, too. "Sakura, you know something about my clan that I don't?"

This seemed to make Fugaku even angrier. "You told her, Itachi?"

"Of course. Sakura will soon be my wife so I told her everything. And Sasuke has a right to know, as well. However, I will leave that to Shisui. Not you, Father, and also not you, Mother. Neither of you know what your power hungry ways caused."

Sasuke shook his head, his Sharingan activating of its own accord due to his stress and anger. "I want _you_ to tell me, Itachi."

She looked up at him, giving him a pleading look. "You know everything, Itachi. It will be best coming from you."

After a moment of silence where Itachi stared down his younger brother, he finally nodded. "I will show you my memories of around that time, Sasuke. Know that they are not pleasant and will definitely make you think differently of our clan."

"Itachi, please–"

"Mikoto, calm yourself," Fugaku ordered. "Fine, Itachi. Show your younger brother what you had been ordered to do – what you had almost gone through with. We will not be the only ones he sees differently."

Itachi shrugged. "If that happens, I will accept it, for if I had actually gone through with the order, things could have turned out so much worse. If not, then great." He paused and once again looked down at Sasuke. "No matter what, Sasuke deserves to know the truth you have tried so hard to bury."

And then Sasuke was being dragged into a different world, a spectator to things that had his outside appearance stiffening, had his eyes widening with horror and when he looked close to falling backwards, Sakura moved forward and kept him standing, glaring at Fugaku as he tried to tell her to leave him. It wasn't long until Sasuke was shaking. Not just with the shock and the fear, but with anger. However, Sakura knew that Itachi would be keeping certain things from Sasuke, would be leaving his brother to believe it had been entirely Danzo's idea and not the other elders', too. Danzo was already dead and she was certain Itachi would emphasise in one way or another how very much Sarutobi Hiruzen was against Danzo's plan, how he had tried to make peace with the Uchiha.

When Sasuke came back to reality, Sakura tightened her hold on him. He did not return her hold, he never had before, but it was obvious in the way he leaned against her that Sasuke was grateful to have her there with him.

"You would have let me live," Sasuke mumbled, still looking as though he was in shock. "Instead of dying with the rest of our clan, you would have gone on to live as a criminal just so I would live. W–_Why_?"

"You are my brother, Sasuke. I told you during the night of the Kyuubi attack that I will always protect you."

"And Danzo." He swallowed with difficulty. "He's–"

"Dead," Itachi confirmed. "Sasuke, this is not to be discussed with anyone."

Sasuke's eyes drifted up to Fugaku's, the disgust in them obvious. "You would have used Naruto against the village." Sakura tensed. She had not known _that_. "Using Shisui's eyes, his _Mangekyō_, you would have had him control the Kyuubi and set it free on the village, just like it had been on the night Naruto had been born. That was how his mother, Uzumaki Kushina, had died. From having the Kyuubi extracted from her."

It took everything in her to hold back her anger and it seemed Sasuke realised that, as his hand unnoticeably clenched in the back of her uniform, keeping her in place. Back then, Naruto would have only been seven or eight years old. It may not have taken much convincing to turn him against the village, considering how badly they had treated him. She could guess that Fugaku would have taken advantage of that. How they would have managed to set the Kyuubi free from the seal, she had no idea, but Sakura knew not to underestimate any Uchiha.

"And you just sat back and let him plot against the village," Sasuke suddenly spoke to his mother. "You would smile at me during the day, acting as though nothing was happening, when really, you were planning on a coup d'état. You have friends in the village. Do they mean nothing to you?"

Fugaku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do not speak to your mother in such a way, Sasuke. I will not tolerate it. No matter what happened, the past is the past and we cannot change that. I know that Itachi showed you our reasons for planning the coup, for wishing to take over the village, so do not judge us so easily. We were tired of being pushed back, shoved further and further out of the village. We–"

"You were _power hungry,_" Sasuke spat in return. "And what about the people who would no doubt fight back? What if Itachi had actually gone through with that order and I was left here _alone_, because you were more concerned about gaining more power? You would have abandoned both of your sons! I would have been left to deal with the death of _everybody_ in our clan, whilst Itachi would have had to deal with _murdering you all_, with me _hating him_ and one day hunting him down for revenge!"

Sakura's insides twisted at just the thought of Sasuke turning on his older brother.

He was glaring at his parents, but at the broken look in Mikoto's eyes, the haunted look, Sasuke felt his anger crumbling a little. Not entirely, but a little. Itachi had told him many times before that their mother did not act for herself. She followed Fugaku's orders, even if she did not agree with them. But knowing Mikoto still agreed to follow such orders? Gods, it made him feel sick.

"What would you have done, had you actually gone through with your plans and everything was a success? Naruto would be dead, the Kyuubi would be running rampant and you would have no vessel for it." Sakura flinched at just the thought of Naruto dying. He was like a brother to both her and Sasuke. "The entire village would despise you more than what they already did and you would have to be on high alert for uprisings. ROOT would be on your ass faster than you could even blink and then, combining them with the rest of the village, all efforts would have been for nothing and we would _all_ be dead." His upper lip curled as he glared at his father. "Innocent children. The elderly who can't even fight back. Those like Shisui and Itachi who didn't want to go along with it. They would have all died because of _your_ selfishness."

Itachi couldn't even deny that he was feeling so incredibly proud of Sasuke right at that moment in time. There had been a moment of hesitance within himself when showing Sasuke his memories, worried in case his brother turned on the village in an act of anger. But it was foolish of him to think that. No Uchiha had died due to the village's orders. No, his brother was doing what Itachi believed he could have done not too long ago: he was making them see sense, realising other's perspectives. His parents had realised long back that they would never succeed in their plans, but now, they were truly understanding why.

Dropping his glare, Sasuke studied his parents for a moment. "If you somehow succeeded, Shisui and Itachi would have never forgiven you. I would not have, either. Despite hardly getting along back then, Naruto was still somebody I knew. Nobody liked him, I know that, so not a lot of people would have grieved for his death." Sakura honestly felt bile rising in her throat. "…But I would have."

"Sasuke–"

"No," He cut his father off, sounding exhausted. "I can't stand to look at either of you right now. Sakura–"

"You don't even need to ask," she told him with a shaky smile. "You and Naruto used to stay at my place all the time, remember? The spare room is still set up."

He nodded. "Thank you."

Just as she went to smile in return, a familiar feeling washed over her and a sweat broke out across her skin. "Itachi…"

Oh no.

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction and not even a second later, he was guiding Sakura quickly to the nearest bathroom, barely making it in time for her to throw up.

Sasuke inwardly sighed before making his way to his room to grab a few things.

So much for his dramatic exit.

* * *

**A/N – For some reason, I really wanted to write Sasuke's view on the coup d'état. Itachi said during the manga and anime, when he was saying goodbye for the last time, that Sasuke may have been able to change their decision. Honestly, I kind of wanted more drama. But now this gives the Uchiha clan more reason to need to change. Not only does Itachi want to change their clan's ways, but now so does Sasuke.**

**Did any of you see the meeting with Fugkau being like that? I didn't. I just started writing and it ended up like that. I'm quite pleased with it, though. They made Fugaku understand them. The whole pregnancy thing was like that, too. It wasn't even planned. Just one moment I was writing about make up sex and then the next, she's carrying an Itachi baby. Ugh. Lucky. ;-)**

**So what do you think will happen next chapter or want to happen? :-D**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	10. Protective

**Chapter 10 – Protective**

News of their engagement spread like wildfire.

Some people were too stunned to say a word, others did not approve due to Itachi having already been engaged to another woman, whilst others smiled politely at the pair, telling them without words that they accepted their relationship. Of course there were rumours – there were _always_ rumours – but they weren't so bad. What was the latest one? That she had killed his previous fiancée in a fit of jealous rage or something of the sort. Nothing major.

Kana had not been seen since Itachi had been ordered to break the news to her in person. It hadn't been too difficult as, once she heard the gossip, Kana had appeared at the main house, wanting answers. Sakura had been forced to mask her chakra and wait in Sasuke's room with him, listening as Itachi told the woman that the engagement was broken off. There was no mentioning of Sakura from him, but Kana had known it was because of her. In fact those had been her exact words.

"_It's because of her, right_?"

Itachi had refused to answer and then politely asked her to leave, once again apologising.

That had been only three days ago and this morning, much her dismay, Itachi had been sent away on a mission with his ANBU squad. Like he had told her one month ago, despite the fact Shisui had returned to the village since then, they were being sent as back up for Shisui's jōnin team. There had been leads on Yakushi Kabuto, but at the time, they had not been permitted to leave Fire Country. Nowadays you needed permission from your Kage to leave your nation as well as your village. It was to stop any misunderstandings.

Team Shisui had to return to be given permission to leave after two weeks of watching the border like hawks. However, they encountered nobody who matched the description of Yakushi Kabuto. There also hadn't been a single Oto–nin. When Shisui returned four days ago, his team had been given three days of rest before he had to leave this morning along with Itachi's ANBU squad. Itachi's squad hid in the shadows, watching to make sure nothing went wrong.

Also, since confronting Fugaku and _telling him_ that they were going to be together whether he liked it or not, Sasuke had been staying at her place. Sakura didn't mind one bit. He tidied up after himself and even paid for half of the groceries. It had been a little awkward, what with having him stay there whilst Itachi was there, but the older Uchiha had rid her of any awkward feelings by soundproofing her room with a jutsu ANBU used quite often. Thankfully, there was a spare bedroom in her home which her team used whenever they crashed at her place (mostly Kakashi after she had healed him and he had no energy to go home), because otherwise, that would leave her parents room. Even though they had passed away well over thirteen months ago now, she still wasn't ready to change their room or have anybody staying in there. The only time somebody entered the room was when _she_ dusted it. Even Itachi knew not to go in there, as it was extremely private to Sakura.

Yesterday, Sasuke had gone back to the district to speak with his parents, although returned last night with obvious frustration. To try and ease him of that stress and anger, Itachi had taken him to the training grounds to spar for a short while whilst Sakura prepared their dinner. Yes, she had actually been cooking! No more takeout for her from now on. She needed to eat healthily.

Since they had pretty much only just announced their engagement, she and Itachi were still keeping her pregnancy a secret, but her team knew, as did Shisui. Sakura smiled as she remembered telling Naruto and Shisui the news. The Uchiha had looked incredibly proud, giving them both a smile and Itachi a pat on the back. Sasuke had told her, when Shisui spoke to Itachi too quietly for the rest of them to hear, that they were just as much brothers as he and Itachi were. He wasn't jealous, because Shisui also looked out for Sasuke like they were brothers, too. Naruto, as expected, had more or less exploded. Once his jealous rage (despite the fact that he was now in the early stages of dating Hyuuga Hinata) had subsided, he demanded to be godfather and that the child be named Naruto.

Surprisingly, it hadn't been her who hit him. It had been Sasuke, who looked utterly disgusted and spat, "_My nephew isn't going to be named after a moron!"_

It was safe to say that those who knew about the pregnancy, accepted it and were happy for them. Kakashi had stopped by at one point to see how it went with Fugaku and Mikoto and had given her his signature eye crease (he hadn't removed his mask due to others being in the room), saying that he was glad to hear that things went okay. Not great, of course, because of Sasuke temporarily sharing her home, meaning something had gone wrong, but okay. It could have been so much worse. Fugaku could have gone straight to Tsunade and demanded that Sakura be sent out of the village or worse, executed, but he didn't, because he accepted her as Itachi's wife.

Sakura was still smiling.

As for not having the clan's one hundred percent approval of her becoming matriarch… So what? Nobody was perfect. Sakura knew all of her flaws and weaknesses and she was working on those.

Collapsing onto the sofa between Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura groaned and rubbed her forehead. Morning sickness was a bitch. It shouldn't even be called morning sickness! She got it morning, afternoon _and_ night! No matter how hungry she was, she just couldn't keep anything down. After reading a medical scroll on pregnancy, however, Sakura had discovered that it wasn't uncommon for the woman to be unable to keep any food down for the first trimester. Obviously not the entire first trimester, but for a couple of days, possibly a week, during it. Hopefully it wouldn't last too much longer.

"Oi, Sakura–chan?"

"Hm?" She glanced up at Naruto. "What's up?"

He grinned wickedly. "You know because you and Ino are both pregnant, does that mean you'll be competing in that, too?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course not! I'm not going to make a competition out of who has the best child or whatever." There was a short pause where the two men stared down at her expectantly. "Even though it's obvious _my_ child is going to be the best."

"It's going to be a boy," Sasuke told her. "So you can stop saying 'child' now."

"And how do you know that?" she demanded, sitting up so that she could glare at the Uchiha. "Do you have some secret ability that Team Seven doesn't know about?"

This time, it was Sasuke who rolled his eyes as he pinned her with a bored look. "No. But every first born belonging to our family has been male."

Our family. Had Sasuke meant to say that to her? _Our family_.

Sakura grinned almost madly, the look causing Sasuke to eye her warily, not liking the look one bit.

"Stop looking at me like that. It's unnerving."

"You just said _our family_, Sasuke!" she told him excitedly. "Does that mean you already see me as your sister?"

"In law," he added, shifting uncomfortably. "Sister–in–law."

Naruto pouted. "What about me?"

"You're going to be my baby's uncle, Naruto." Sakura smiled, settling between them both once more. "You may not be a blood relative, but I think of you as my brother, therefore you'll be the baby's uncle."

His large, wicked grin returned as he glared over at Sasuke. "And I'll be the best damn uncle that kid has!"

In response, Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't be an idiot. If the kid has any brains, which he _will_, considering who his parents are, he won't go anywhere near you. If he doesn't know any better, then I'll teach him to avoid you."

"Sakura–chan, Sasuke's threatening to keep your kid away from me!"

Sakura groaned.

Hadn't they even considered the fact that Shisui will also be an uncle, given that he was like a brother to Itachi?

"And for good reason. Itachi won't appreciate having his son come home and showing him his latest _Oiroke no Jutsu_." Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. If her child _ever_ used that perverted jutsu… Oh there would be hell to pay. "Or a disgusting addiction to ramen." Her eyebrow began to twitch. The occasional bowl was fine, but an addiction like Naruto's? No. "Or–"

"You're just jealous because you know I'll be the more fun uncle."

"No you won't."

"Will."

"Not."

"Will."

"Not."

Before Naruto could continue their stupid argument, Sakura hit them both over the head, effectively shutting them up.

"I think you're both stressing Sakura out, boys."

At the voice, Sakura glared up at Kakashi, who settled himself into the other sofa. "Just how the hell did you get in here without anybody sensing you, _again_? You even managed to sneak in while Itachi was here the other day!"

The news stunned Sasuke. Kakashi smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "You're forgetting that Itachi–san was once a member on my squad. Over time, you tend to pick things up. Like the other week when Sasuke managed to find me."

Sasuke smirked at the memory. Seeing the genuine shock on Kakashi's features had made it worth the twenty minutes of searching for him and every time he looked for the Copy–Nin, he managed to break his record. Next time he was aiming for fifteen minutes. Like Kakashi had just said, over time, what with being on the same team for a while, you learn things about your teammates and pick things up. No doubt Kakashi had looked out for Itachi, given how young he had been when first entering ANBU, meaning he would have been watching him closely. Kakashi looked out for all his teammates.

"Break your record?" Sakura asked the Uchiha with a smirk, a smirk that only widened when he nodded proudly.

"By ten minutes and thirty–seven seconds."

Impressive results, she had to admit. It may not have meant much to anybody else, but by doing this, by pushing himself so hard to find their former sensei, Sasuke was boosting his hunting skills. It wasn't that he wanted to be a hunter–nin, but it was a handy skill to have. Her record for finding Kakashi was half an hour. Naruto usually lost his patience and gave up, but his record was an hour and a half. _That_ result brought back the infamous nickname "dobe", much to his annoyance and Sasuke's amusement.

"So what's up?" Sakura asked Kakashi.

"Can't I come and visit my adorable, not–so–little students?"

They all stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Fine, fine. I heard that you were watching the new _Icha Icha_ movie."

Sakura blushed heavily. "Ino bought it for me as a 'gift', telling me I'm going to _enjoy_ married life."

The newly wedded couple, Choji and Ino, had returned yesterday from their extended honeymoon and the blonde had been over the moment she heard the latest gossip, not even caring that she had interrupted Sakura and Itachi during a rather intimate moment. Okay, so they had only been kissing, but that was beside the point! After that, Ino had stayed for around two hours, handed over the _Icha Icha_ movie and told Sakura to watch it.

"And you're watching it with your team?" Kakashi smirked behind his mask.

Her eyes narrowed. "You said it wasn't porn."

All she got in return was a laugh.

* * *

He lied to her.

He had _lied to her_.

Oh, Kakashi was going to die when she got her hands on him. No, he was going to do more than that. Kakashi was going to be utterly _destroyed_. _Annihilated_.

After watching the movie with them, he had accepted the DVD happily. Well, it had been thrown at his head by Sakura, who had been screaming at him that he was a perverted liar. She also told him to keep it. In a more offensive way. After sitting there with the team, watching Sasuke and Sakura as they squirmed uncomfortably during the movie (Naruto, being the pervert he was, had been completely entranced), Sakura had taken the disc out of the player, calmly placed it back into the case and then she chucked it at his head as though the case was a kunai, telling him to stick it where the sun doesn't shine.

He caught it effortlessly and grinned behind his mask, thanking her for her kindness, before disappearing.

Really, Sakura should have known better. There had to have been an ulterior motive behind his spending time with them. Don't get her wrong, because Kakashi was there when they needed him, but he wasn't the type to sit down with the team and watch movies. It just wasn't him. He had come by to watch them squirm before taking her DVD. That was fine. He could keep the damned thing! At least his collection was–

Wait. She shouldn't be encouraging his obviously unhealthy addiction to porn!

Sakura sighed, settling her grocery bag onto her hip as she walked back to her home. She was simply grateful Itachi didn't have any disgusting addictions. He enjoyed dango, but dango wasn't porn or ramen, so Sakura didn't mind.

Much to her delight, yesterday afternoon, she had received a letter from Itachi. Things were going well and he would be home some time today, though he couldn't go into any details over the letter and had to keep it vague, she didn't care. He was coming home! Damn his squad was good. Shisui's was, too. They had only been gone a day and already completed the mission!

She had so much planned, since they would be celebrating tonight. This was Itachi's last ANBU mission. Of course she was aware of the fact that you never truly get out of ANBU, for Kakashi had warned the team many times, but after he returned today, he would be placed onto a jōnin team. Maybe he'd even take on some genin. Itachi may be socially awkward, but Sakura couldn't think of anybody better to teach genin. He was patient and protective, so would look out for them on missions, yet push them hard enough so that they would learn to protect themselves.

In her mind, if Kakashi could do it, Itachi sure as hell could!

She still hadn't forgiven him.

That man was such a pervert!

She grit her teeth.

"Oi!"

It wasn't as though she wanted to be angry with Kakashi, because she didn't. It was the simple fact that the man was a pervert and read those damned, smutty books in front of them! He was a good man, though and the team meant a lot to him. Sakura smiled. Kakashi could never know that _that_ was what she thought of to make her anger with him disappear, otherwise he would take advantage of it.

"Don't ignore me!"

Suddenly a hand grabbed Sakura's shoulder, roughly turning her around. Many gasped in shock as her groceries were sent flying from their paper bag and others, the smarter ones, took a step back, knowing that things could get violent, especially if Sakura was involved.

"May I help you?" Sakura asked through gritted teeth, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of who it was.

Kana.

And she wasn't alone.

Looking warily over her shoulder, Sakura saw that there were two other Uchiha women behind her, altogether making a triangular shape around her. She was trapped. No matter what she did now, one of them would catch her thanks to their Sharingan. Oh, did Sakura fail to mention that _all fucking three_ of them had their Sharingan activated? Great.

"Think I'd let you get away with stealing _my __fiancé_?" Kana spat out, her fists clenching.

She should have listened to Kakashi. She really, _really_ should have. Even though Kana had appeared indifferent and uncaring the first time Sakura met her, it was obvious the woman didn't appreciate looking like a fool. Nobody did. And now she wanted to prove to the village that she was no fool by confronting the woman who had allegedly stolen Itachi from her.

"I didn't steal him," Sakura replied coolly, glaring up at Kana. "We were together long before you came along."

"Do not even _try_ insinuating Kana stole him from _you_." One of the Uchiha behind her laughed mockingly.

It took everything in Sakura not to whirl around and hit her, but Kana must have seen that violent flash, for her eyes also became more wild, the tomoe in her Sharingan beginning to spin. Shit. Sasuke's often did the same thing when he was getting excited for battle, or for a spar. Sometimes it happened when he was pissed off. _Oh shit_.

"I wasn't saying that," she said slowly, her eyes never leaving Kana's. Considering her eyes were nowhere near as powerful as Shisui's, Itachi's or Sasuke's, as Itachi had warned her about them, Sakura looked into her eyes without fear. She was originally a genjutsu type, after all. Plus, Sakura highly doubted Kana would place a genjutsu on her with all these people around, who were all waiting for a fight to break out. "I was saying that Itachi and I were together long before Fugaku–san arranged the marriage between Itachi and you, Kana–san."

Once again, her eyes flashed dangerously. There were murmurs in the crowd as they heard the truth, that the engagement hadn't been willing and Itachi had in fact been with Sakura first. It seemed to piss Kana off even further and in a way, Sakura couldn't blame her because now it looked as though she was making a fuss over nothing. If anything, Sakura had freed Kana from being stuck in a loveless marriage. But then again, she would have become matriarch of the Uchiha clan.

"That was why you wanted to marry him." Sakura gasped before she could stop herself. "So you could become matriarch of the Uchiha clan!"

It all happened so fast.

Lifting her arm, Sakura quickly blocked the kick aimed for her side, growling with anger as she did so. Damn it! She couldn't fight. Fighting would put the baby at risk. But what was she supposed to do now? Raising her other arm and spinning around, blocking the punch targeting her back, Sakura looked around warily. Three against one. How the fuck was that fair? And nobody was stepping in to stop them! Then again, nobody knew that she was pregnant.

Hands on her back stunned Sakura, but just as she turned around to face Kana once more, she found herself being punched in the face and stumbling backwards, losing her balance as she stepped on the jar that had been in her grocery bag. A grunt of pain could be heard as she kept her arms around her abdomen, forcing her chakra to focus on protecting the child growing in her womb, but Sakura couldn't stop the quiet yelp that escaped her as she hit her head on a pole.

Her vision blurred and everything sounded so far away.

"Fight back, Sakura–san!" Sakura heard somebody screaming desperately from somewhere in the crowd. "_Get up_ and _fight back_!"

"Monsters!" another screamed at the Uchiha women. "It's three against one! You're nothing but bullies!"

Neither woman listened and instead nodded at each other, glaring down at Sakura a second later. Kana raised her fist, preparing to punch her and the other two women drew back their legs, ready to slam their feet into her body.

But then an unyielding hand grabbed both raised legs, holding them in their positions and making them cry out in pain at the small, warning electrical charge that shot up through their bodies. Following those hands led you to none other than Hatake Kakashi, who had his back to Sakura as he glared down with unforgiving rage at the two women he had stopped effortlessly.

A strong hand wrapped around Kana's wrist, making her grunt with pain at the grip, but that pain was soon forgotten as she glanced up at Uchiha Sasuke. He looked absolutely murderous.

"Somebody get a medic!" Naruto yelled over the muttering and gasping crowd, leaning over Sakura. He had been prepared to take the blows for her, protecting her stomach like he had seen her weakly trying to. The sight of her heavy eyes terrified Naruto, but the moment she slipped into unconsciousness, he found himself close to hysteria. "_Get a medic!"_

Kana rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic! She only hit her head. I'm sure she can heal herself when she wakes up."

Sasuke tightened his already painful grip on her wrist and yanked her forward roughly, keeping his voice dangerously low. "Sakura is pregnant, you imbecile. _That_ is why she didn't fight back and you're lucky she didn't. She was more concerned with protecting her unborn child," he growled threateningly. "_Itachi's_ child. The new clan heir."

They didn't think any of the Uchiha women could pale any further.

Naruto snarled, carefully lifting Sakura into his arms at Kakashi's order and holding her bridal style. As he stood up, he held her against his chest protectively. "Now go back to your district like a good little bitch and wait for Itachi to find out what you did to his pregnant fiancée."

This was the sight that welcomed two teams as they entered the circle, the crowd having made way for the teams.

Shisui felt his breath leave him.

Itachi's Sharingan activated out of anger.

"What happened?"

His voice was barely even controlled as he moved forward, startling the crowd as they all backed away a couple of steps out of fear. Uchiha Itachi was not supposed to lose his temper. He was calm, aloof. Nothing was supposed to be able to anger him, but as he gently took Sakura from Naruto's arms, looking down at her face, they could see that he was very unhappy at what was happening. They couldn't blame him but it was terrifying seeing him showing his emotions.

"Shisui, take these three back to the district." His polite way of speaking was no longer there and his hands shook for a second as he forced away the urge to clench them into fists. To do that would hurt Sakura further. "Take them to my mother and inform her on what happened. She will think of a suitable punishment."

Once more, all three Uchiha women paled.

Uchiha Mikoto?

They were being sent to _Uchiha Mikoto_ after harming her soon–to–be daughter–in–law, her son's fiancée and the mother of his child?

They were dead.

Shisui nodded once, but was more controlled with his anger as he glanced at the three. "Follow me and do not try anything." He nodded once to Sasuke and Kakashi, silently telling the two to let them go. "Come. I am sure Mikoto–san will be happy to see you."

"Shisui," Sasuke spoke up, his anger obvious in his deep voice, "arrest them afterwards for assault. If they want to act like thugs, they can be treated like thugs."

The older Uchiha smirked and nodded once more, liking the man Sasuke was becoming. "Very well."

* * *

To say she was stunned would be an understatement. Shizune had been wary of something happening to Sakura, as she had, in the public's eye, stolen Itachi from his fiancée. However, to have her brought into the hospital, in the arms of Uchiha Itachi with her teammates right behind them, startled her for a moment. The second she saw that Sakura was unconscious and _pregnant_, no less, Shizune immediately switched into medic mode, telling the group to follow her. There was no point in telling them to wait outside. If Hatake Kakashi had willingly come to the hospital, you weren't getting rid of him and that was just a fact.

Once Itachi had placed Sakura down on the hospital bed, he took a step back to allow Shizune room to work and she did so quickly.

"How far along is Sakura, Itachi–san?"

"Around two months."

It seemed everybody was falling pregnant. Just this morning Shizune had examined six other women as well as Yamanaka Ino. She sighed. Whilst she was incredibly happy for Sakura, she wished the young girl had waited. Although…

"That would mean that you conceived around the time we returned from the mission." When he nodded once, Shizune once again sighed. "Also meaning that Sakura had not had the contraception jutsu activated. This is a surprise pregnancy." Summoning her chakra, she focused on the fetus, her eyebrows knitting together. "And the reason for Sakura not coming to the hospital for an examination?"

There was the sound of a sigh. "She wished to keep the pregnancy a secret for now, until we are married."

Shizune couldn't keep back the sound of annoyance, even though she knew it was not polite. "Sakura should know that such a thing is dangerous. The first seven weeks of the pregnancy–"

When she cut off, Itachi couldn't help but tense. None of them could.

"Shizune–nee–chan?" Naruto asked, practically trembling with worry. "What is it?"

Ignoring him, she glanced up at Itachi, gesturing for him to come closer with her head. "Everyone is healthy, Itachi–san," she told him. "However, there is something you must know. I am certain Sakura noticed it earlier, because she put all her chakra into keeping the fetus' safe."

Silence.

It went on for a minute or two as the four men went over her words. Once. Twice. And then a third time until Itachi finally found the ability to breathe again.

"_Fetus'?"_

She smiled shyly, nodding. "Twins, if the chakra I can detect and feel are correct. As well as Sakura's chakra, there are two more. We won't know for sure until Sakura has an ultrasound scan, but it is usually ten to thirteen weeks into the pregnancy when she will have one."

Twins.

He was the father of _twins_.

It didn't matter that they weren't here yet, that they probably didn't even look like tadpoles yet, let alone babies. He was going to be the father of twins!

"Eh?" Naruto finally managed to choke out as he stared dumbly at Sakura's stomach. His Sakura was carrying twins? "But she isn't even showing! There can't be twins in there!"

"Naruto, lower your voice," Kakashi told him seriously. "Sakura is still in the early stages of her pregnancy and won't begin to show for another few weeks. However, if you look closely enough, there is a minute bump. I noticed not too long ago, but given I don't know much about pregnancy and children, I thought that perhaps she must have gotten the dates mixed up."

Sasuke shook his head. "The break up was around three months long and for the first month, Sakura was in Suna. She got the date right."

The older Uchiha was still shocked. "Would that be the reason behind why the signs of pregnancy started much earlier than expected? I recall Sakura mentioning something along those lines."

"No," she answered with a soft smile, carefully extracting her chakra and moving her hand up to Sakura's face, cupping it softly as she healed the small cut on her forehead, "every pregnancy is different. Just this morning, there was a young woman who came in with _many_ symptoms, worried that she may be further into her pregnancy than she thought. She was not. Like every person is different, every pregnancy is different. What signs has Sakura been showing?"

"Morning sickness," Sasuke and Naruto couldn't help but groan at the same time.

"Not just morning either," Naruto continued, looking as though he really felt sorry for Sakura, "but afternoon. Evening. Night."

Shizune chuckled and Itachi sighed. "Her upper body has been tender, also." It didn't feel right saying that her breasts were sore in front of the other three, even though Itachi could tell instantly that Shizune knew what he meant. "Exhaustion, also. She cannot keep food down for long, as Naruto–kun has just stated, Sakura has been severely sick."

Nodding, Shizune sighed. "I see. Considering it has been eight to nine weeks since we returned from the mission, meaning that Sakura is more or less nine weeks into her pregnancy, I can make an appointment for her to have an ultrasound next week, although it may have to be the week after."

Itachi glanced down at Sakura's features. "And Sakura?"

"I don't doubt that she can hear us right now, but with head wounds, we can only wait until consciousness is regained–"

"Wait! I know a way to wake her up," Naruto practically yelled as he ran over to the bed, hopping on to it carefully and hovering over her. He shook her gently and others groaned in response. Surely it would take more than that to wake Sakura up! "Sakura–chan," his voice was lilting, almost teasing, "Kakashi–sensei is reading porn in your living room again." No answer other than the sigh of Kakashi. "Sasuke's eating all of your tomatoes and sorting through your weapons again." A twitch of eyebrow from both Sakura and Sasuke. It had always bugged her how he felt the need to rearrange and sharpen all her weapons. "I spilled ramen on your sofa." Her upper lip curled and a low growl could be heard. At least Shizune's presumption of Sakura being able to hear them was right. "If you don't wake up, Sakura–chan, I'm going to kiss you." Itachi tensed. Very much like Sakura suddenly did. "And I'm going to make sure it's extra wet and slobbery." Sasuke cringed and had to hold back the urge to gag. "Fine. Looks like you want me to kiss you–"

"_Naruto!"_ she growled when he leaned forward, eyes shooting open as her hand weakly tried to push his face back.

"I told you it would work!" he yelled happily. "It happened before! What did I–"

A hand to his face shoved him off the bed and it took Naruto a moment to realise that Sakura most definitely had some of her strength back already. No doubt because of that seal on her forehead. No, she hadn't released it, he noticed as Naruto leaned up on his elbows, pouting up at her childishly. Sometimes he missed the genin Sakura. At least she wasn't nearly as strong. Then again, annoying her was fun. He enjoyed having her attention, even if she was hitting him.

The moment her eyes glanced around the room and locked with warm onyx, a smile graced her lips. "You're home!"

Itachi couldn't help but shake his head and smile at her, moving a step closer to her bed. A second later, however, that smile slipped away. "You were attacked, Sakura. Why did you not fight back?"

It seemed the others understood this as a private moment, because thankfully they left, although Shizune lingered close by to speak with Sakura later about making an appointment.

"I couldn't, Itachi!" Sakura exclaimed. "I could have put the baby at risk."

She knew it wasn't actually a baby yet, but saying 'fetus' just felt so impersonal, like it wasn't even her child she was talking about. Saying baby made her stomach flutter with excitement and her heart beat faster. Baby. She was going to be a mother! At first, Sakura had been petrified – still was, if she was being completely honest – but that fear wasn't as great now that she knew for a fact that Itachi was going to be there.

"You have your seal." He reminded her and tapped her forehead, making her scowl. It was something Itachi had always done to Sasuke, only, considering how she had hit her head not too long ago, he had been gentle with her. "That–"

"Doesn't apply to the baby, too," Sakura told him with a sigh. "And if it does, I could be risking her life. Tsunade–sama has never been pregnant, so she doesn't know what would happen if I was to use _Sōzō Saisei_ while with child."

He raised an eyebrow, sitting on the edge of the bed once Sakura shuffled up to make room for him. "Her?"

A blush covered her cheeks. "I had a strange dream last night, one where I met our daughter. Itachi, she's so beautiful!"

Whilst brushing the hair away from her face, Itachi smirked. "Pink hair?"

There was the sound of a huff before Sakura shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Not a hair on her head had been pink! You don't need to worry. It was like…" Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully and a small, loving smile was on her lips. "I don't know. A mixture between us, but she thankfully had _your_ forehead." Itachi couldn't help but allow a low chuckle. He didn't see the big fuss about her forehead, but he knew Sakura didn't like it _at all_. "And the shape of your eyes, too, but my eye colour." Sakura bit her lip and glanced down at her stomach with that same tender look. "You know, when we found out I was pregnant, I was _so scared_."

"And now?"

"Now I'm really looking forward to meeting our child."

Itachi leaned forward and kissed her softly before pressing his forehead to Sakura's. "We're having twins, Sakura."

Silence.

And then…

"_Twins_?" she demanded, glaring up at him. "Wow. Real nice, Itachi. From now on, we're using a damn condom _as well as_ the contraception jutsu! I swear you've got sperm like…"

Tuning her rant out, since it was only growing more crass by the moment, Itachi gently lowered his hand to her stomach where he traced soothing patterns against it. Sakura was still ranting, not even noticing the warm look in his eyes. Twins. A father. Silently, Itachi made a promise to himself that he would never be like his own father. Whilst pushing his children hard enough to make sure they would be able to protect themselves as well as their loved ones, he would never do what his father did to him and Sasuke. _Never_.

_I promise, little ones. Like with your mother, I will protect you with my life._

This was his family now.

They were his life.

* * *

**A/N - Ugh. Jealous Uchiha women.**

**I plan on finishing in the next three chapters! Originally it was only supposed to be five chapters long. Heh.**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited on: 03/09/2016**


	11. Grief

**Chapter 11 – Grief**

She had been released from the hospital the day after, as Shizune had wanted to keep her in overnight for observations. It was just to be on the safe side and Sakura didn't argue. To keep her children safe, she would do anything.

Children.

Only Uchiha fucking Itachi could knock her up with not only one, but two of his brats. There hadn't even supposed to be one and now all of a sudden, there's two!

Before leaving the hospital, she had made an appointment for an ultrasound, but made sure she spoke only with Shizune about it. Until after the wedding, the pregnancy was to remain a secret. Just like Ino's had. Sakura had yet to find out how her parents had taken _that_ one. Not even married a month and already pregnant.

Saying that though, she wasn't even married yet.

But Ino hadn't been either!

"Itachi?"

"Is something wrong, Sakura?"

She hadn't been able to stay mad at him long for knocking her up with twins because deep down, she knew it wasn't his fault. It was her body's fault. Itachi was just so caring! During the middle of the night last night, Sakura had sent him out in search of certain foods for her. It was more of a test than her actually being hungry, as she wanted to see how far he would go to make her comfortable. By the time Itachi returned with her food, she had felt guilty for sending him out so late, but also hungry, so dug into the food without complaining.

"No," she mumbled, her head resting on his chest. "I was just wondering…"

Opening his eyes, Itachi glanced down at her tiredly, but was alert in case she needed something. It was still the early stages of her pregnancy and Shizune had warned them that these first three months were the most crucial. Anything could happen. Usually, you were not even supposed to announce your pregnancy until the seventh week, which was okay, because not only was Sakura on her ninth, but they were also keeping the pregnancy a secret from everyone.

"Wondering about what?"

"About where we're going to live. You know, are you going to become head of the clan and if so, are we going to live in the district? Or could we still live here? She might not try anything again, but Kana… I don't trust her. She attacked me, Itachi. In front of others with two other Uchiha women. How many in your clan dislike me? Can I trust _them_? What if something happens to–"

"Sakura," he silenced her softly and sat up, which also forced Sakura to sit up as she had been more or less laying on top of him. Cupping her face, he forced her to meet his eyes. "They will not try anything again, not after what happened yesterday, and if I become head of the clan, that means you will become matriarch. They will not dare to disrespect you." Noticing the crease between her eyebrows, Itachi sighed. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, however, I am sure that something can be arranged for us to remain here, but you have to take into consideration that the clan _will_ need us. Not only that–"

Already knowing what he was about to bring up, Sakura gave Itachi a weak smile. "I'm going to sort through my parents' room tomorrow." He stroked her cheek gently, brushing away the tear that slipped down it. "It's been thirteen months. They'd want me to try and move passed this. For them. For us."

He nodded. "Would you like any help?"

There was a pause as Sakura considered his offer, before she shook her head. "No, I think this is something I should do alone."

Understanding, Itachi kissed her tenderly. "I will speak with my father tomorrow and give you some time alone. It shouldn't take too long." She nodded. "Sakura?" When she looked up at him, he sighed. "Please do not stress yourself out. If it becomes too much, take a break."

And once more, Sakura was reminded of why she had fallen for Uchiha Itachi in the first place. Nobody knew how gentle he truly was. Sasuke had seen glimpses of this Itachi, but not to the extent of what she had. Sakura knew that because of the way his eyes widened earlier that evening when Itachi had told her to sit down and allow him to prepare dinner.

He was spoiling her and Sakura would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. Shisui had come by at one point to see how she was doing, to which Sakura had teasingly told him he would have to compete with both Naruto and Sasuke for being the best uncle. He told her that it would be, without a doubt, _him_. The other two weren't even competition, he'd told them.

Sasuke had given them some privacy during dinner, stating that Naruto wanted to spar with him and they would probably go to Ichiraku's afterwards (just in case, she put some leftovers in the refrigerator for him). They were both thankful for the privacy and, whilst they ate, it truly felt like they were a family. Just the memory of the warmth in her chest and the fluttering in her stomach brought a smile to Sakura's lips.

"We're starting a family," she whispered to Itachi, her smile widening. "_Us_. We're going to be a family!"

That was the exact same thought that kept running through Itachi's mind. They were going to be a family. And all of a sudden, he didn't care about being traditional. He didn't care if they were married (although he would definitely enjoy being married to Sakura) before their children were born. Why? Well, was the Yondaime Hokage married to his lover, Uzumaki Kushina? Not that he had been aware of and if they had been, then it had been a private wedding. Otherwise, the entire village would have been celebrating and he could not remember that happening. Had Yuhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma been married? No. They were now, of course, but they hadn't been when their son had been born.

But Itachi had to understand and keep in mind that he was also from a prestigious clan. Marriage was expected of him. He simply wished that it didn't feel as though he was forcing Sakura into the marriage. There was obvious love and excitement in her eyes when they spoke of the wedding, but he could also tell that she was unsure and perhaps even a little bit scared.

"We are," he murmured to her.

Glancing up at him once more, Sakura shuffled closer, resting her head on his chest. "I don't mind the idea of living within the district," she told him quietly. "But I thought that you should know–"

"It is fine, Sakura," Itachi shushed her, running a hand through her hair. He had always admired how soft it felt. "You have every right to be uncomfortable and I apologise for the way they acted towards you. What happened yesterday should most definitely not have happened and I know that my mother will find a suitable punishment. It will most likely be a 'spar' before the three are arrested by Shisui. Do you wish to press charges?"

Decisions, decisions. _Did_ she want to press charges? Sakura bit her lip, sitting up straight in front of Itachi and folding her legs. Part of her did, but the other part didn't. What happened yesterday could have ended in so many different ways. The first being, had her team not shown up, she could have lost her children. The two who had been with Kana had been aiming kicks for her middle section and no Uchiha had ever held back or done something half–assed. If they had gone to kick her, they would have made sure they _really_ hurt her. But then again, her team _had_ shown up. They _had_ put a stop to the 'fight'. It hadn't even been a fight! Like Sasuke had spat yesterday, it had been assault. They assaulted her in the streets of her own village, the place where Sakura was supposed to feel safe.

"I don't know," Sakura replied honestly after a couple of minutes. "I feel like I should, to teach them a lesson and to prevent something like this happening again, because not everyone is so lucky to have stalker teammates who magically appear out of nowhere like I do. But… Kana…" Her head dropped into her hands with a groan. "She's only acting on how she's feeling. I can't say that I would have waited until the 'other woman' was vulnerable and unable to fight back, because that's just cowardly. I'd want her to have a chance of beating me. Kana didn't know that I was pregnant, Itachi. None of them did."

"It does not change the fact that you _are_ pregnant, Sakura," Itachi argued. "This will teach those within the clan that they are to respect you, as anything less will not be tolerated. If we allow those three to get away with attacking you, others may think it's okay."

"You think they'll attack me again?" Sakura gasped in shock before her eyes narrowed dangerously. "If they even try to while I'm pregnant, I'll punch them all the way to Tsunade–sama from your district so _she_ can deal with them. If I'm not, I'll deal with them myself!"

Itachi chuckled. He really did enjoy Sakura's temper. "No, I don't believe they will attack you again. Did you not notice that quite a few in my clan respect you, Sakura? They respect that we stood up against my father. Shisui once informed me that not a lot of people within the clan agree to arranged marriages. Just like we don't."

Quite a few Uchiha had actually approached him, much to his surprise. Some congratulated him whilst others, in their own reserved ways, told him that they respected him for what he did. Not disobeying, of course, because that would never be encouraged. One girl had even asked him to ban arranged marriages when he became clan head. That girl had only been nine years old. Nine years old and already she was being trained to become a housewife. Like Sasuke had said not too long ago, it was downright disgusting! Something had to change because honestly, every day that went by, Itachi felt himself losing all hope in his clan.

"Sakura."

Heavy eyes, lidded with exhaustion, drifted to his. "Mm?"

Noticing how tired his fiancée looked, Itachi smiled softly and lowered her backwards onto the bed, settling down so that he was on half on top of her, using his arm to keep his weight from crushing her. Then, his free hand rested on Sakura's stomach, causing a lazy smile to grace her lips. "If I become patriarch to the clan, please do not change."

She frowned. "What?"

Sighing, he gazed down at her, watching each and every one of her features. Her eyes were narrowed in confusion, her button–like nose scrunched up ever so slightly as well as her eyebrows knitting together and her lips forming a minute pout. Inwardly, Itachi smiled. For some reason that he could not even begin to understand, Sakura had issues with her appearance, though he could understand to an extent, due to her telling him it was because of vicious bullies back during her academy days. However, to him, Sakura was beautiful. Her hair colour was exotic, _demanding_ your attention. Her full lips were always drawing him in. And her eyes… Itachi didn't know where to begin. They were mesmerising and so very expressive.

"The clan elders will push you, very much like how the elders of the village push Tsunade–sama." A part of him was annoyed with himself as his head dropped beside hers, resting it on the pillow and effectively breaking eye contact. "Do not turn into my mother." It felt horrible, having those words leaving his mouth, but it was the truth. "Don't change who you are to please them. Be yourself."

Her hand lifted to his shoulder and stroked it softly until she placed a gentle kiss against his neck. "But you'd get into trouble–"

"I would rather get into trouble with them, than have you change who you are." He pulled his head back, reopening his eyes as he gazed down at her. "My mother… She gave up everything to become matriarch of our clan. That will not happen to you. You're going to continue doing what you love – working in the hospital, saving lives. It is who you are."

"The children–"

"Will grow up respecting you for not obeying every order the elders give you like a dog would its master." Hearing how that sounded, seeing the shocked look on her features, Itachi sighed. "I respect my mother for many things, but for others, I do not. She is my mother, so of course I respect and love her. However, there have been many times during my childhood – even now – where I wished she would stand up to my father, to the elders of our clan. Before she gave up being an active kunoichi to become matriarch, to bring up Sasuke and myself, my mother was known as a fierce and deadly kunoichi. People feared her and respected her. Over time, however, they forgot about her. She blends into the background. That will not happen to you.

"My mother believes that she cannot give her own opinion, Sakura," Itachi told her seriously. "It pains me to look at her when she is forcing herself to remain impassive, to remain silent even if what is being said goes against her beliefs." His hand moved from her stomach and up to her cheek, stroking it softly. "You have an awful temper and you're impulsive. You act without thinking and most of the time, your actions lead you to doing things you regret." Her features darkened and she gritted her teeth, growling in warning. Itachi smiled. "But that is what I love most about you. You are not afraid to voice your opinions. In fact, if somebody ignores you, you _force_ them to hear you. Whether that is by screaming right down their ear, or by using your misleadingly small fists that not–so–secretly hold a monstrous strength."

This time, Sakura blushed and rolled her eyes, mumbling sarcastically, "It always turns me on when somebody calls my strength 'monstrous'."

Itachi chuckled in response. It was a low and throaty sound that never failed to make her heartbeat increase. "You should be proud of your strength, Sakura. A lot of people have acknowledged you for it. Myself included." Seeing that certain look in her eyes and knowing what she was thinking, he frowned softly. "You're not weak, Sakura. The only reason you think that is because you compare yourself to your teammates. Sasuke is known as a genius, a prodigy and was raised to be a shinobi and whilst Naruto–kun wasn't, both of his parents were powerful shinobi and he is the vessel for the Kyuubi. As for Kakashi–san, there has not been a shinobi within Konoha such as himself in a long time."

"Isn't that because of the Sharingan, though?"

He shook his head, brushing the hair off her face. "Not at all. Your former sensei is a powerful man, Sakura. Even before he was given his Sharingan, Kakashi–san was well known. He is a prodigy, more so than myself, than Shisui, possibly even Neji–san. Kakashi–san graduated early from the academy and was taken in by the Yondaime Hokage, Minato–sama. Like myself, Kakashi–san was considered too powerful to be kept within the village, not when his skills could be put to better use." Sakura looked stunned, much to his amusement. "The Sharingan may give us an advantage, Sakura, but it does not increase our skills. There is a fault to everything. There is always a weakness.

"I will admit that, after receiving the Sharingan, Kakashi–san got a boost in power, but he also had to work to adjust to that power. He had to train hard to be able to control the Sharingan – we all did. What is the point in having eyes that tell you your enemy's movements, when your body is not capable of keeping up with them? Kakashi–san had to train hard just like the rest of us."

She still seemed a little disbelieving. "You said there hasn't been a shinobi like Kakashi–sensei in a while… but there's Shisui–san. There's _you_."

There was a soft smile on his features. "Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses, Sakura. Yes, Shisui and I are also prodigies and in some ways, we surpass Kakashi–san. However, in other ways, he surpasses us. During our time spent together in ANBU, I learned many things from him, things I knew nothing about. He had knowledge that I could not even begin to understand."

Stunned, Sakura gazed up at her ceiling behind Itachi's head until her eyes went back to his. "It's hard to believe that there's anyone stronger than you and I'm not just saying that to kiss your ass, either. Sasuke always spoke about you when we were growing up, always telling us that he had to surpass you. But one night, when it was our turn to take watch, he opened up to me and told me that deep down, part of him knew he would never surpass you. He told me that you're the most powerful shinobi there is. You're 'the perfect' shinobi."

It was nice to hear that his younger brother thought so highly of him. "But Sasuke could not be more wrong." He lowered himself more onto his side, his elbow pressing down into the mattress and his head resting against his fist. Once he was comfortable, Sakura reached up and played with the ends of his hair. "There is no such thing as perfect. Like I said, everybody has weaknesses and strengths. I am not ashamed to admit that I have weaknesses. Being pushed beyond my limits got me to where I am today. Yes, most skills come to me naturally, as my mother had once stated, but I also had to work hard. I still have to train and figure out ways to protect my weaknesses without them becoming too obvious to my enemies."

"It's easier said than done," Sakura murmured, understanding him perfectly. "You know," She looked up at him, admiring Itachi silently during a short pause, "I don't think we've ever spoken about something like this before. It's nice to see you're not arrogant and bigheaded." Itachi deadpanned, making her grin impishly. "What's the matter, _Itachi–kun_?"

Shaking his head, he kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, Sakura."

She pouted up at him when he pulled back. "I'm not tired anymore."

He raised a disbelieving brow. "You look as though you are about to pass out."

"Fine, fine." Sakura sighed, allowing Itachi to lay down before she curled up against his side with a smile. Then, after around five minutes of trying to sleep, she spoke up again. "Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"Sasuke's changing, don't you think?"

"I do." He was proud of his younger brother. Sasuke was becoming the man Itachi had always hoped he would be.

Silence.

And then, "Itachi?"

He sighed. "Yes, Sakura?"

"I think I already have a name for our son, if one of them is a boy. Only if you like it, of course."

This woke him up as Itachi opened his eyes to look down at Sakura. "What is it?"

"Kiyoshi."

For a couple of moments, Itachi thought over the name, allowed it to play around in his mind. It was a good name, there was no denying that. "Pure."

She nodded. "Yeah. Have you been thinking of any names?"

It took him a minute to think. In all honesty, yes, Itachi _had_ been thinking of names. Quite a few, actually. The names came to him, but they were mostly female names. He liked the thought of having a daughter who looked like her mother. Perhaps not the exact same personality, but close enough that she wouldn't allow for anyone to walk all over her. He imagined Sakura with the Sharingan, but it was difficult to picture. Maybe it was because of her hair colour? Don't get him wrong, Itachi liked Sakura's hair. It was unique and exotic, but he was hoping their children would not have pink hair, especially if they were both boys.

"Tsuki or Yuuki for a girl," Itachi murmured after a moment of silence. "Tsuki means 'moon', whilst Yuuki means 'gentle hope'."

"I like the name Tsuki," Sakura told him honestly, a loving smile on her lips. Their conversation made her stomach flutter with happiness and excitement and she was so glad that Itachi was helping pick out baby names, for apparently, not a lot of men do. They simply went along with what their partner decided. Even if it was a little early to be choosing, she was still happy. "If we have a daughter and she looks like the child from my dream, then the name would suit her well."

He hummed, his hand trailing down Sakura's arm softly before making its way back up, his gentle caresses relaxing her further.

"Itachi?"

Itachi honestly couldn't help but chuckle and he had no idea why. "What is it, Sakura?"

"I know we agreed to get married in a month, but…"

Once again reopening his eyes, he glanced down at her, inwardly and secretly wary. "But?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to bring the date forward."

Forward? Itachi had thought that Sakura would want to delay the wedding or postpone it until her pregnancy was over. Part of him had thought she may have wanted to cancel it and have them remain as lovers, although he couldn't understand why she would want such a thing. Hearing that Sakura wanted to bring the date forward… It made him feel happy. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't care." She smiled, her leg shifting until it was over his body. "I just really want to marry you."

He could understand the feeling. There was nothing he wanted more than to call Sakura his wife. "There will be much planning."

"Does it have to be a big, over–the–top kind of wedding?" Sakura asked as she tilted her head back, looking up at him. "I don't mind if it does, it's just… it'll take longer to plan, won't it?"

Indeed it would. However, some things just could not be helped. As heir of the Uchiha clan, it would need to be big. Not ridiculously over–the–top like he had heard Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Choji's had been, but large enough that everybody would know they were getting married. It would have to be the talk of the village, like an announcement of sorts. "Close family and friends," he murmured after a moment. "Although the reception would most likely have to be over–the–top."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Does 'close family' include your entire clan, or just your parents, Sasuke and Shisui?"

Itachi smirked. "The latter. As well as my aunt and uncle."

"Shisui's parents?"

"No," he told her, his voice back to a murmur. "Shisui's parents died when he was young. It was the reason behind his awakening of the _Mangekyō_. This aunt and uncle do not have any children, but own a sweet shop that Shisui and I often visit."

She smiled brightly, leaning up on her forearms. "I know that sweet shop! The one in the district?" He nodded. "I once forced Sasuke to take me there, but he kept going on and on about not liking sweets. Whenever they give him some now, he always gives them to me!"

That had been strange, Itachi thought. Sasuke used to love sweets just as much as Itachi loved dango. However, one day, he suddenly decided he detested them. Nobody could ever understand why, either. He simply refused to eat them, but their aunt and uncle still gave him a bag of them every time they saw him. At least now Itachi knew what Sasuke did with them, as it would have been rude to throw them away.

"You know, I think we should live in the district." Sakura smirked. "Just so that I can go there every day."

"Eating so many sweets will make you sick, Sakura," he chided quietly.

Shrugging, Sakura lowered herself against him until her head was on his chest once more. "I think my cravings are beginning already."

He stared up at the ceiling and sighed.

* * *

It was nice weather today, Itachi thought, feeling more calm and at peace than usual. It was a pleasant feeling, one that he wouldn't mind experiencing every day. The stares that followed him around the village as he made his way to the district were no more so than usual. A few villagers, mostly civilians, had approached him, however, asking if Sakura was okay, which had surprised him. Not that they were asking about Sakura, as many in the village adored the Hokage's apprentice, but because they _approached him_. Nobody had ever dared to do such a thing before other than his team, former team, Team Seven, or Shisui.

He would be lying though if Itachi said he did not like the feeling it brought him. There had been uncertainty in their eyes whilst conversing with him, but once they realised he was not as scary or cold–blooded as rumours made him out to be, they relaxed. He liked that. He liked that they didn't fear him. Sakura had once told him that they simply had to get to know him better. No, Itachi wouldn't start laughing and joking with random shinobi or civilians, but it was safe to say that he didn't mind stopping for a chat with one or two of them every now and then.

"Itachi!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi paused in his walking, waiting for Shisui to catch up to him. It didn't take long. Shisui had to be one of the fastest shinobi Itachi knew of and it was not entirely thanks to his mastery of the _Shunshin no Jutsu_. He trained a lot and always worked on his speed. Once Shisui had caught up, they continued walking in the direction of the district, both content with the silence until the older Uchiha spoke up.

"Are you going to speak with your parents?"

"Yes." There was a brief pause until Itachi looked to Shisui. "What happened with Kana and the two with her? I did not have the chance to ask you yesterday."

Shisui let out a huff of breath, seeming impressed. "Your mother gave them the beating of a lifetime to say the least. By the time I returned to take them to the cells, they could barely even move!"

That sounded like his mother. With her children, she sometimes came across as warm and loving, but she was still matriarch of the Uchiha clan. There was a reason why she was his father's wife. Uchiha Mikoto was a powerful kunoichi. It was a shame his mother had retired, as the village could do with her skills, but Itachi could partly understand her reasoning. She quit to bring him and Sasuke up, wanting to be there with them. But there was another reason as to why she quit. Mikoto had become clan matriarch, so when Fugaku was not there, she had to be. That was what Itachi had tried to tell Sakura the night before. He did not want her to feel as though she was trapped.

"Have they been sentenced?"

"No, not yet. We still need Sakura–san's statement, but I thought it best to allow her to rest yesterday. I was actually about to head over now and see her."

Itachi shook his head, giving Shisui a serious look. "Not today, Shisui."

"Is something wrong?"

"Sakura is going through her parents' belongings today, so will be in mourning." Shisui immediately had an understanding look on his face, nodding once. "We cannot decide whether to remain where we are, or to move into the district."

Shisui shot him a strange look. The expression on his face was blank, but Itachi could see the confused stare in his dark eyes. "You moved out of the district? When did that happen?"

It had been a while since Itachi had slept in his own bed. Actually, he now considered Sakura's bed as his own. Well, as theirs. It was the same with sharing her home. They were comfortable there. It felt natural and as easy as breathing. "Not officially," he told Shisui in a low murmur, wary of villagers hearing. If somebody overheard that the Uchiha heir no longer lived in the district, it could become quite the problem. They would think he was disowned, or he had disowned the clan. It wouldn't help that Sasuke was currently staying at Sakura's, either. "Sakura and I are simply more comfortable in her home instead of my parent's."

He nodded in response. "What do you think you will do? Live in the district?"

"If I become patriarch, then yes."

Silence. And then, "_If_?"

Itachi sighed, looking in front of him as they turned the corner. Sometimes he disliked how far away his clan's district was. "Yes. I told my father that if I cannot change the clan's ways, if I cannot have Sakura by my side as matriarch, then the title will be passed down to Sasuke."

"Wow." Shisui's voice was flat. "And how did he take _that_?"

"Not well."

"I see. So is that why you are on your way to see him?"

Nodding, they turned yet another corner and he inwardly sighed with relief as the district came into view. No he was not tired or being lazy, Itachi simply wanted to get this out of the way so that he could return to Sakura. This morning, she had been quieter than usual, more distant. Even Sasuke had noticed, but hadn't said a word as he left for training. It was obvious he was concerned, though. The fact he shot Itachi a narrowed–eyed look said enough.

"Amongst other reasons."

Shisui rolled his eyes. "And what other reasons are those?"

"I have retired from ANBU."

Even though he shouldn't have, Shisui chuckled. "That vein in your father's forehead is going to pop one day. Most likely today."

_That_ vein. Itachi smirked. When he was younger, around five years old, Shisui had found him in the training grounds, feeling down. Around that time Shisui had already been ten or eleven years old, but had still been a good friend to Itachi. So, once he figured out why the younger Uchiha was upset, he made a joke about the vein that would throb on Fugaku's forehead whenever he got extremely pissed off or frustrated. It had cheered Itachi up to say the least, although he could never look his father in the eye whenever the man was scolding him. All he kept seeing was _that vein_.

"Good luck, Itachi!" Shisui told him with a wave. "I have to go back to headquarters, but I'll need that statement from Sakura–san by tomorrow evening."

He nodded once in understanding. Kana and her two friends would no doubt be released today because Shisui did not have a statement, but they wouldn't dare to attempt something like that again. If they did, it would not be Kakashi and Sasuke who would stop them, it would be him. It would not be his mother who punished them, it would be him. And when somebody he cared for was being threatened or harmed, pacifistic nature or not, Itachi would be unforgiving in the way he punished them.

Itachi would have asked for Sakura's statement himself, but he was too close to the victim.

Victim.

It was so strange thinking of Sakura as a victim, but that was what she was. She was the victim of a completely unnecessary and uncalled for assault. So what if he had broken off the engagement with Kana? That gave her no excuse to attack Sakura. It wasn't Sakura's fault that he preferred her over Kana. In fact, Itachi had never wanted to be with Kana. The only woman he had ever wanted to settle down with, to be with, was Sakura. It would always be Sakura.

Entering his childhood home, Itachi slipped off his sandals. "Tadaima."

"_Okaerinasai,_" his mother called softly in return.

It seemed nowadays whenever he came by, his family were always in the kitchen. When he entered he was surprised to find Sasuke there, also. His brother must have been masking his chakra for some reason. Most likely so that their father would not sense his presence, meaning Sasuke could speak with their mother privately without the man interrupting or putting words in Mikoto's mouth. That _had_ to be the reason as they were both sat at the table, sipping tea. Upon seeing him, Sasuke poured Itachi a cup and wordlessly put it in his place at the table.

Sitting down beside Sasuke as he always had, Itachi folded his legs, thanking his brother for the tea. For a moment he watched his mother. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. That had been occurring quite often lately, especially after everything that had happened between telling his parents of his engagement with Sakura, the pregnancy, and Sasuke being disappointed with their clan. He hoped she wasn't too upset because despite everything, Mikoto was still his mother. He cared for her like he hoped his children would care for Sakura.

"Mother?"

Her eyes narrowed a fraction, seeming distant as she remembered what had happened two days ago.

* * *

"_You will not be able to fight back," Mikoto stated coldly, her empty eyes looking around her. "You may block my attacks, but you may not fight back."_

_Raising her hands, Mikoto did a single hand seal that was now infamous thanks to a certain Uzumaki Naruto. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," she muttered, taking a deep breath as her chakra was divided multiple times. It didn't matter to her. She would still be capable of beating these women into the ground for attacking her son's pregnant fiancée._

"_Three against one?" Mikoto questioned harshly and after a gesture to her clones, they spread out, surrounding the women. "Let us see how you like being outnumbered and defenceless, shall we?"_

_The three women who had assaulted Sakura quickly fell into defensive stances, their Sharingan activating._

"_Deactivate your Sharingan," she ordered coldly, her own red and black eyes narrowing. "That way, you will all understand how you made Haruno Sakura feel. She could not predict your movements, so you shall not be capable of predicting mine."_

_Reluctantly, they did so._

_Mikoto didn't even give them a chance to fully prepare themselves any further before she attacked. Quick and ruthless and unforgiving, like a lioness protecting her cubs._

_These women were about to pay dearly._

* * *

"Mother?" Itachi repeated softly, his head tilting to the side with hidden concern.

Mikoto smiled gently at her son. "Kana and her friends will not be causing Sakura–san any more trouble, Itachi. You have my word."

That hadn't been what he was asking about, but it was nice to know he could rely on his mother for such things. It had also proven to the village, since that was where the assault had taken place, that the Uchiha clan did not get away with committing crimes just because they ran the police force. They were punished just as much as the rest of them, perhaps even more so because of Fugaku feeling utterly outraged that those within his clan would act in such a way, showing him up and making it appear as though he could not control those within his own clan.

"How is Sakura–san, Itachi?" she asked softly, taking another sip of her tea before placing the cup down. "Sasuke said that she is doing better and there are no serious injuries."

He liked this version of his mother. She was so calm and soft spoken. Also, because their father was not around, she was warmer than usual and didn't have to worry about possibly saying too much or speaking out of place. "Sakura is well. There are only a few scrapes and bruises, which, according to her, are okay to heal naturally. She would not allow Shizune–san to heal them, saying she would need her chakra for other patients."

She gave him a smile. "That's nice to hear. And the fetus?"

Inwardly, Itachi grimaced. If Sakura had heard her utter such a word she would have yelled that it wasn't a fetus, it was a baby. Even Itachi did not like the word fetus when used towards his own child. It felt so… He wasn't sure. Sakura had mentioned before that, to her, it felt impersonal and as though they were not talking about their own child. He agreed. "The twins are fine."

Silence.

Sasuke bit back his smirk.

"…Twins?"

"Yes," his reply was simple, blunt.

"As far as I can recall, there have never been twins in our family," Mikoto murmured, nursing her cup of tea. Noticing the look in her son's eyes, she gave him another smile. "It's a pleasant surprise. You have always done things differently to the rest of us, Itachi. Why should this be any different? I simply hope both you and Sakura–san are prepared for parenthood. It is not easy and you're a member of ANBU."

Taking a deep breath, Itachi decided to tell her. "I retired from ANBU, mother."

He was genuinely surprised when her eyes warmed, when her smile grew. "I'm glad."

"But what about Father?" Sasuke asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "He won't approve of this."

Shaking her head, Mikoto took another sip of her tea, enjoying the warmth it brought her. "Your father is not as cold as he appears, Sasuke," she told him honestly, her eyes practically screaming her words. "I will admit that he has made wrong decisions and there are things he could have done differently, but he _does_ try. Please do not forget that he is the patriarch of our clan, that he is the captain of the police force and a member of Hokage–sama's council. There is a lot of pressure on his shoulders and he is simply trying to do what he thinks is best."

That did not excuse him of the things he had done, though. That did not excuse him for making Sasuke feel so low as they grew up. That did not excuse him for tearing into Sakura like she didn't even matter. Itachi could handle his father ordering him around or treating him like he was below the older man, but he would _never_ forgive Fugaku for the way he treated Sasuke and Sakura.

Stress? They wanted to say it was stress getting to their father? Itachi was not one for cursing, but that was complete and utter bullshit. They wanted to talk about stress? How about being forced to kill at four years old? How about joining ANBU when he was still a child? _Being raped for a mission?_ Murdering so many people for the sake of their village? The nightmares that came along with those missions, haunting him and never allowing him to forget about the horrors he had witnessed or been a part of?

How about realising that, one day, you may have to slaughter your own clan because they were blinded by their hunger for more power?

Itachi took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. It would be no use arguing with his mother. She was acting the way a wife should – defending her husband. "There is something else that I came here to discuss, Mother," Itachi told her, not bothering to answer her words to Sasuke as it was obvious his younger brother wasn't going to, either. "However, it may be best if Father is here, also. It is regarding the future of the clan and whether or not I will become patriarch."

Sasuke actually scowled at him. "You _will_ become patriarch."

Raising an eyebrow at his brother, Itachi asked, "You do not want the title?"

"No," he answered bluntly, his scowl deepening for a moment before his features smoothed out. "I want to remain an active shinobi. If I become head of the clan, I will have to stay within the village unless there is no one better for a mission than myself. Not only that, but it means I'll also have to settle down. I don't want that yet." Just as Mikoto looked ready to argue, he cut her off. "Mother, when was the last time Father left the village to go on a mission with his team?"

She did not answer.

"I want to stay in Team Seven. Even if Sakura–"

"Sakura _will_ stay an active kunoichi."

His eyes widened as his head snapped up to face Itachi, whose features were blank.

"Itachi–"

"You cannot argue with me about this, Mother," he told her seriously, his eyes narrowing a fraction. "Sakura and I have already discussed this. She wishes to keep her place at the hospital and go on a mission every now and then. She is just as much a member of Team Seven as the rest of them are."

Mikoto shook her head, trying to make her son see sense. "It will stress her out greatly, Itachi. Please listen to me! Being matriarch of the Uchiha clan is not easy. Adding two children to the mix makes it just as difficult – and there is an age gap between you and Sasuke. That is why I retired. I wanted to be able to give you both my full attention, even if it doesn't seem like I have. Believe me when I tell you that this _is_ going to cause a lot of stress for Sakura–san. She does not belong to a clan, so she must learn how to adapt to ours. She will not be just anybody's wife, she will be _your_ wife – and you are going to be patriarch of the clan! We must prepare her for the difficulty of that role. I promise that I will help out as much as I can, but there is only so much I can do.

"I was raised to become matriarch, Itachi," she told him seriously, her eyes narrowing. "There was no choice for me. I was raised to become a powerful kunoichi as well as your father's wife and I accepted that because it was a great honour. I did not love your father when we were wed. I did not love him during our honeymoon. It was when I saw him holding you in his arms on the day you were born that I fell in love with him." Her eyes were warm, smiling gently at him. "He loves his sons greatly and he knows how much Sakura–san means to the both of you. Sasuke, she is your teammate and friend. Itachi, she is the woman you wish to spend the rest of your life with."

Itachi's eyes widened. "Are you saying–"

"Yes." Mikoto nodded with a shaky smile. "Your father said all those harsh things to Sakura–san, pushed her so hard, because he did not want her to become matriarch. There are many different reasons for that, the main reason being that she just is not cut out for the role. She is from a civilian family, Itachi. The change is going to be enormous for her. Of course, I do not know Sakura–san as well as you both do, so perhaps she _can_ do this. However, after the first time you brought her here, your father and I talked about this once both you and Sakura–san left. As I said, there are many reasons as to why we do not approve. It would be so much easier to accept the bride picked out for you, Itachi." He opened his mouth, about to argue, but his mother cut him off with a mild glare. "Do not interrupt me. Your father asked me to stay quiet about this, but you need to know. I will not have you hating him when he is only trying his best." She paused for a moment, looking from Itachi's impassive features to Sasuke's stunned expression. "Kana was brought up, just as I was for your father, to become your bride. She has been trained her entire life for this. Sakura–san has not."

This time, Itachi couldn't help but cut in, feeling uncharacteristically impatient. "I believe that Sakura can learn. Kakashi–san once stated that Sakura has always been a quick learner. She mastered many things long before the rest of Team Seven, including Sasuke."

Inwardly, Sasuke scowled, making a mental note to spar with Kakashi soon.

Mikoto sighed. "You are having twins, Itachi. I am not arguing with you about this, I am merely stating facts. One child – in the beginning – as well as being matriarch and a kunoichi was incredibly difficult for me. Sakura–san is going to be the mother of twins. That is twice the amount of effort, twice the amount of stress. She will be a new mother, too."

"Team Seven will help out," Sasuke stated before he could even stop himself. At their stunned looks, he sighed. Great. It hadn't even meant to come out! "They'll be my nephews or nieces, right? Not to mention Naruto seems more excited about Sakura's pregnancy than anybody else – including her and Itachi. Kakashi may not be the best choice for babysitting, but he'd do anything to avoid Sakura's anger. And then you have Shisui. They won't be alone in this, Mother. I don't know how much Father helped you out, or if you had anybody else there to help, but we will be there for Sakura and Itachi."

There was silence for a moment as Mikoto smiled down at the table, like she was once again lost in her thoughts. However, the warmth in her eyes told them that she was still there with them. She was merely taking a moment or two to control her emotions. It took longer than that, but neither of them said a word. It was a nice change for them to see her looking happy.

And then she was reaching across the table, one hand cupping Itachi's cheek, the other cupping Sasuke's. "You are both growing into such fine men," she told them proudly. "Tell Sakura–san that if she ever needs any help, or motherly advice, she can come to me. I know that her parents passed away not too long ago, so she will be feeling lost." She stroked their cheeks lovingly. "Look after her, boys. She's going to need all the support she can get."

* * *

Her mind was a pile of goo right now.

Sakura clenched her fist in her hair, pressing a shaking hand over her mouth to try and stay quiet despite the fact she was home alone.

She had already grieved for her parents' untimely deaths, but now as she sat in the middle of their room, going through their belongings, it felt like all old memories were suddenly slamming into her. They were nice memories, but some weren't as pleasant. Some were of them spending time together, happy, and others were things such as her passing the chūnin exams and the jōnin exams. They had been so very proud of her! Other memories were times when her mother yelled at her to clean up, to keep her shoes together by the door. Things such as that.

In one of their boxes, they kept souvenirs.

They had kept her first forehead protector.

It was battered, scratched and barely even holding together anymore, but they still kept it. Sakura had always believed that they didn't agree with her becoming a kunoichi. They had always seemed so against it! Seeing her old forehead protector brought back all the looks Sakura had thought she had been making up, for her mother couldn't possibly be proud of her. Her father couldn't possibly be happy with just how much she had to sacrifice for her village. They would sit awake most nights, waiting for her to return home and until she was safe, until she was home, they would not be able to rest. Sakura had always believed they resented her for causing such stress.

But they really were proud of her.

And that was why she was crying. Her tears were a mixture of happiness and sadness. Happiness because she was so glad they had been proud of her, that they hadn't been disappointed. Sadness because as their daughter, Sakura believed she should have tried harder to get along with them more. Not be so snappy with them. There was no denying that she caused just as many arguments as they did.

Why had she been putting this off? Going through their things? There was so much that brought back wonderful memories, things she had long forgotten. Like the way her father had this strange smell, one she could never fully distinguish, whenever he held her. Or the way her mother would sit in front of her dresser and admire not only her looks, but also her jewellery. Looking up at that dresser now, from her place on the floor with boxes filled with family photographs and souvenirs surrounding her, it was like she could see her mother sitting there, smiling back at her through their reflections.

The sound of the front door opening vaguely caught her attention, but she didn't have time to be startled for Itachi flared his chakra for a moment, silently telling her without interrupting her that he was home.

"Itachi?"

He hesitated for a moment, she heard, before Itachi made his way over to the door that had always been closed. He had never seen the inside before, but respectfully did not let his eyes move around the room as he stood in the doorway. "Do you need anything, Sakura?"

She looked up at him with a soft smile, wiping away her tears. "I could use with some help, actually, if the offer's still open?"

There was nothing wrong with accepting help every now and then and sometimes, it helped having somebody you loved by your side, helping you through the pain.

"Of course." Itachi gave her a small smile and stepped into the bedroom, sitting down by her side and holding her hand, giving a soft squeeze to tell her she would never be alone.

He would be there to help.

Always.

* * *

**A/N - Two more chapters and this is finished!**

**Have any of you watched Orange is the New Black or Supernatural? I just caught up with both shows (don't worry, I won't post any spoilers - I hate it when people do that!) and now, I'm about to go and catch up on One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. I've been putting off those two for quite a while now because I could never find a decent, safe website to watch them on.**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**

**Edited: 10/09/2016**


	12. Happy

**Chapter 12 – Happy**

Pregnancy was rough.

And she had only just finished her first trimester.

They had left the wedding planning to Itachi's mother, but went over the details just to make sure they wouldn't receive any unwanted surprises. They didn't. Mikoto accepted that they wished to have a small, traditional wedding. Foolishly, Sakura had allowed Ino to plan the reception. It was ridiculously large and loud and did Sakura mention that it was more like a festival? No? Oh. Well, Ino had somehow gotten Tsunade to agree (most likely because there would be a lot of sake there) to having a party for all of Konoha to attend and celebrate the newly wedded couple. It was outdoors with loud music, sake, food. You name it, Ino had probably already planned it.

Marrying Itachi had been nice, though. And as Sakura sat beside him on top of the Hokage Tower, as his newly wedded wife, she couldn't help but grin. What more could she ask for? Everybody was out having fun, celebrating their marriage. She and Itachi had decided to sit on top of the tower for a short while, to get a break from all the congratulations and offers of alcohol. It was still a secret that she was pregnant.

Like promised, only a few Uchiha had been at the wedding. Itachi's parents, his aunt and uncle, Sasuke and Shisui. For her, because of her parents no longer being there, she had invited her second family, Kakashi, Naruto, Shizune, Tsunade and Ino as well as Choji, Hinata and Shikamaru. Naruto and Hinata as well as Ino and Choji came as a package deal and Sakura got on with Shikamaru rather well.

Sakura was thankful that she hadn't had to wear the traditional wedding kimono for the reception. It had been bordering on ridiculous how heavy it was and Mikoto had had to help her walk in it because it was so long. Also, thanks to Mikoto, Sakura had been able to forgo the makeup and hair. She knew it was tradition to wear such things, but right now her skin was incredibly sensitive and wearing such heavy makeup would make her face itch. It had happened during the rehearsal and once washed off, Mikoto had been unhappy to see red blotches forming on Sakura's skin from the makeup. They had both been scared that it meant something more than a simple bad reaction to the makeup, but Shizune had told them that both the babies as well as Sakura were fine.

Itachi seemed to like that she hadn't worn all that makeup and a black wig, anyway.

The wedding had been beautiful and even better, she was now married to Itachi.

"Uchiha Sakura." She tried out the name, feeling how it rolled off her tongue. Itachi looked down at her with a smirk. "I never thought I would say this, but it's going to take some getting used to."

Growing up, she had always known she would end up as an Uchiha. It sounded so arrogant and bigheaded, but it was the truth. Only, growing up, Sakura had thought it would be Sasuke she would marry, not his older brother. She was glad she married Itachi though. He understood her.

"I like it." she added with a bright smile.

He couldn't help but chuckle and kiss her forehead. All day Itachi had been in a very good mood. What could he say? He was happy. There was nothing more to it. The woman he loved was now his wife and she was carrying his children. What more could he ask for?

The reception was colourful and that was an understatement. Ino had gone all out, exclaiming that since Sakura had only had a small traditional wedding, the reception should be the exact opposite. This night was definitely one that wouldn't be forgotten any time soon. People were going to be talking about it for weeks, if not months and with that talk, would be the knowledge that both Itachi and Sakura were permanently off the market. There was no hope for his fan–girls that they would break up.

"Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"Let's have a big family." Sakura told him with a grin, enjoying the smirk that he looked down at her with. "Lots and lots of children. My temper with your talents and no big ass foreheads."

"You should teach them all medical ninjutsu, as well." he murmured in response. "That way they could always heal themselves out on missions."

Sakura nodded, her grin simmering to a warm, tender smile. "I'm going to ask Tsunade–sama if I can teach them the _Byakugō no In_. There are risks, I know, but when they're old enough I know that our children will understand those risks. They'll know not to take the seal lightly."

And then, by teaching their children _Byakugō no In_, they would then go on to discovering _Sōzō Saisei_, which in her eyes, would be a great thing. The thought of losing her children made her heart ache and her stomach lurch and twist painfully. There was no doubt in her mind that they _would_ be capable of storing so much chakra and forming the seal. It was in their blood. She would guide them every step of the way! And then, of course, alongside of achieving, of forming, _Byakugō no In_, her children would be able to use _Byakugō no Jutsu_. They could save so many lives!

"Our children are going to be a force to be reckoned with." Sakura smirked impishly, but that look soon faded to one of curiosity. "I don't think I've ever seen anybody else with crows as their summon." Itachi gazed down at her questioningly, silently asking her to continue. "Well, as far as I'm aware of, Katsuyu–sama is the only summon that can transmit Tsunade–sama's chakra for _Enkaku Chiyu_. You know, where she gives Katsuyu–sama her chakra because Katsuyu–sama can divide her body to heal everyone for her? I'm sure the other slug summons can do that too, but I've only ever seen Tsunade–sama use Katsuyu–sama."

"Sakura, what are you talking about?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I'm rambling again. Uh… What I meant was: are we going to pass down our summons to our children? I've heard you can have more than one, but I'm not sure. Sasuke's is a hawk, but he can also summon Kakashi–sensei's pack. It was long ago when he asked Sasuke if he would like to be the next to sign the summoning scroll. I think it was because I signed a contract with the slugs and Naruto signed one with the toads."

Yes, Itachi had heard about that. He had had mixed feelings on it, too. Part of him was glad that Sasuke had Kakashi's ninken pack, but another part not so much. It would have been like a new generation of sannin if his brother had somehow signed a contract with snakes. Again, Itachi was also glad that he hadn't. Whilst the village could do with more powerful shinobi, it meant Sasuke would have been approached by Orochimaru. Well, he wouldn't have _had_ to be approached by him, but he would have had to be given the contract somehow.

"It is possible to have more than one summon. However, there is no use in thinking it over at this moment in time. We don't know if they will want either of our summons."

"They'd better." Sakura grumbled, her eyes narrowing as she glared down at the festival–like party below them.

Itachi smirked. It would be nice if his children wished to sign the summoning contract with his crows. Like Sakura had stated, not many did. They were a rare summon usually only used for those who wielded powerful genjutsu powers. Given the fact their children would most likely activate their sharingan (even though part of Itachi wished they wouldn't, for it would mean they would be experiencing great pain or stress), they would be skilled in basic genjutsu. Sakura was also originally a genjutsu type. Together they would teach their children anything and everything about genjutsu.

He was really looking forward to being able to pass on his skills to their children.

Sakura was right. They were going to be a force to be reckoned with.

"_Itachi! Sakura–chan! Get down here. I'm going to treat you both to ramen_!"

"Wow." Sakura smirked, grabbing Itachi's hand as they stood up. "He must be in a great mood if he's actually treating us and not asking to only pay half."

* * *

Not many went on honeymoons and up until the night before the wedding, Sakura and Itachi hadn't been sure if they would go on one. They had believed that the village may need them whilst they were away and if that happened, they wouldn't know or make it in time to help. That had been settled with Tsunade telling Sakura she was being stupid. If she really needed them, she would summon Katsuyu and tell her to contact Sakura.

So, Mikoto and Ino had pulled a few strings and now here she and Itachi were.

It was beautiful to say the least and Sakura knew that Mikoto and Fugaku had been the ones to pay for it all.

They were staying in an expensive looking inn that had to cost what they were paid for at least two a–ranked missions. And that would probably be for only one night! They would be staying in this place for two weeks. Just them. It was an amazing looking resort with many things to do, but right now after travelling for over four hours, Sakura had to say that she was utterly exhausted. She had been up since the crack of dawn with being prepared for the wedding. Ino had helped her out with that, taking her to a new salon within the village.

Beauty hurt. It really, _really_ did. There had been plucking, waxing… It was horrifying how much work they had done on her and Sakura was certain that there wasn't any hair left on her armpits, legs or even her freaking arms! There hadn't even been any hair on her legs or armpits to begin with! How the hell they found any was beyond her. Forget going up against formidable enemies. Beauticians were vicious. Don't even get her started on the nails part. The way they had pushed back her cuticles still had Sakura cringing.

"The _onsen_ looks great." Sakura murmured as they entered their room. "I could seriously get used to this."

Looking around their bedroom had her gasping in awe and smiling. It was luxurious and definitely not something she was used to, _at all_. On the way up to their honeymoon suite, they had walked by many people looking as though they were upper class. Wealthy clans, Itachi had told her under his breath. This was the sort of place the Hyuuga clan as well as the Uchiha enjoyed staying, although some members of the clans couldn't afford to do so. It was mostly the main families. If Sakura had wanted to stay here, she would have had to save up for months depending on how many missions she received. She had inherited a decent amount from her parents when they died, but that was put to the side to keep the house and pay other bills such as that.

In the centre of the room was a large bed with curtains hanging around the four posts, ready to be closed and shield those who lay in it. The colours weren't ones she would personally pick, but they were nice nonetheless. Different shades of red shouldn't have surprised her, really. Red was the colour of love. And yes, Sakura loved the colour, but too much of it and it was a little… Well, too much. There were others colours to balance everything out, however. So it wasn't too bad.

The rug in front of the fire place was incredibly soft beneath her feet, having slipped off her sandals once they entered their room. The rest of the flooring was wooden but nowadays just about everybody stuck to having wooden floorings for they were easier to clean than carpets and they also went with almost everything.

Sakura grinned over her shoulder at Itachi as he placed down their bags onto the dresser. He had insisted on being the one to carry the bags, even though they were only filled with a couple of storage scrolls to make their travelling lighter. She was scared about going through their belongings, for both Mikoto and Ino had been the ones to pack her things. Itachi had known they were coming here, so had packed his own things.

"They called me 'Uchiha–sama'." she grinned impishly.

"They did." Itachi smiled and moved over to where Sakura was standing, brushing the hair off her face. "I take it you are now used to sharing my last name?"

"I suppose I am." She nodded in agreement before grabbing the hand cupping her face. "How about a soak in the _onsen_? My feet are aching from being stood up all day long."

That sounded nice. Twisting his hand, he entwined their fingers and guided Sakura through the sliding doors on the opposite side of the room, taking only a second to open them. A bright smile graced Sakura's lips as the tub came into view. Well, tub wasn't the word for it. It was kind of rare for inns to have separate onsens for each room, but given that they were in the honeymoon suite, Sakura was guessing that their room would be one of few to have one. Of course not every room would have one! It would take forever to clean them all. It was most likely only the more expensive rooms that had them.

There was steam coming from the water and it looked perfect to just sink into and relax in. Sure, it wasn't all that big, but big enough for at least four or five people. There was no need to worry about somebody passing by and seeing them, either. This part of the inn was less populated. In fact, the inn itself was quite far from civilization. No loud drunks stumbling by, no noisy kids running around. This was a place the most powerful and wealthy clans came to relax.

Wooden walls were place on either side of the onsen, joining with the wooden walls belonging to the actual inn, but there was an opening opposite them, giving Itachi and Sakura a breathtaking view of a field filled with many flowers along with a water feature and fountain as well as an even better view of the stars in the night sky. In Sakura's eyes, it was perfect.

She didn't argue as Itachi slowly undressed her and once undressed, she did the same for him, exchanging short and tender kisses as they cleaned each other's bodies before slipping into the water together. Just like Sakura had thought, it was incredibly relaxing and hot, making release a sigh. What a way to relax! It felt like all the aches in her body were just sliding away, like they hadn't even been there in the first place.

The sound of the fountain soothed her greatly and Sakura closed her eyes, leaning back against Itachi's chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her.

"I think we should take our room back to Konoha with us and have it built into our home."

The idea was stored away into Itachi's mind the moment it left Sakura's lips. She was probably not being serious, but if it was what she wanted, he would do his best to give it to her. It was a nice place, after all, and Itachi wouldn't mind doing this on a regular basis. They probably wouldn't be able to have an onsen in their home, however he would speak to his parents about it. They could always hire chunin or genin to clean it for them. It would be great for Sakura, too, if what she told him about wanting many children was true. He could tell that the moment she stepped into the water, it was helping with those aches she had been speaking about. Itachi thought it helped, too.

About a week ago, the pair of them had decided to live within the district, but they were living to one side of it, giving them a decent amount of space for privacy. At the moment their home was preparing to be built and would be ready before Sakura was due to give birth, much to their liking. So, at the moment, it was merely a large space of nothing but grass. It used to be one of the Uchiha's training grounds, but nowadays they used the same training grounds as the rest of the shinobi in Konoha.

Since they would no longer be living in her childhood home, Sakura had decided she would rent it out. That way, whilst she no longer lived in it, she would still own it and would be in charge of who lived there. It may seem ridiculous, but Sakura wanted to make sure that it didn't get ruined. She wanted a family to grow up the way she had with her parents. Happy. Until their new home was ready, they were staying in hers and closer to the move or perhaps after she gave birth, Sakura was going to start looking around. It wasn't going to be ridiculously priced, either. She didn't need the money, after all, and not all families could afford such a place.

A hand being placed over her stomach caught Sakura's attention and not for the first time, she smiled. Itachi always enjoyed stroking her stomach, enjoyed feeling the minute bump that was slowly growing. She hadn't popped out yet, but there was an obvious difference without her clothes on or with a tight shirt on for she no longer had a flat stomach. It was to be expected. She was carrying twins, after all.

And, as Sakura had suspected, Ino was not pleased. The blonde had come over to Sakura's place, bragging about how she was so great because she was having a kid first. Oh the look on Ino's face when she was told Sakura wasn't only pregnant, but also having twins had been priceless! Sakura had still been laughing at her even two days, _three days_, later! Now Ino was determined to try and outdo her rival/best friend.

Sakura bit her lip as the hand on her stomach smoothed up her skin and cupped her breast tenderly, aware of how sensitive they were due to her pregnancy. It wasn't long until the other hand joined and cupped her right breast. His hands were calloused, proof that Itachi was just as human as the rest of them and just as hardened from life as a shinobi. A gasp escaped her and Sakura's head fell back onto his shoulder, her eyes sliding closed at the wonderful feeling he was bringing to her with his hands and after a short while, he pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her temple.

Turning around to face him, Sakura couldn't help but kiss Itachi, sighing into their open–mouthed kisses as he shifted in his seated position a little, placing his hands on her hips and bringing Sakura closer until she was straddling him, giving her a small height advantage. Her hands caressed their way up his chest and into his hair, fisting it gently for just a moment before releasing her hold and going back to holding onto his shoulders.

The almost silent grunt that left Itachi when she suddenly took his hardening length into her hand made Sakura smirk. And then he was kissing her more passionately, his fingers running through her hair and tilting her head back as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, his other hand squeezing her hip softly for a moment before it was trailing along her skin and moving upwards, once more cupping her breast and teasing her when he made his way back down, tracing every curve along the way. The way he suddenly grabbed her ass and pulled her closer, grinding upwards against her, had her gasping. Not only had his erection come into contact with her, but also her own hand.

But Sakura wasn't in the mood for foreplay tonight. The build up would be too much and already her body was yearning for his, wanting to be pressed up against him, to have him inside of her, as he brought her to climax.

It was with that thought that she suddenly got onto her knees, positioning his erection and once Itachi realised what she was doing, Sakura lowered herself on top of him, gasping as his rigid length slipped into her heat. A soft moan escaped the pair of them and she pressed her forehead to his. It always felt perfect being connected with Itachi in such a way. It always had and hopefully, it always will.

The sound of their quiet noises of pleasure and pants for breath joined the other sounds surrounding them, the sounds of the gushing water not too far from them, of an owl hooting somewhere close by. They were sounds of the night.

Her hips rolled against his slowly, relishing the feeling that was brought to her but for a moment, Sakura almost enjoyed Itachi's moans more than the act itself. It felt amazing being the one to bring him such pleasure! His hands were on her hips, aiding her in her thrusts and not too long after, Itachi closed the distance between their lips, kissing her lovingly as they affectionately rocked together. The water kept their movements slow, but neither minded. Right now, they didn't want rough and dirty sex. They wanted to make love.

Arms wrapping around his neck, Sakura deepened their kiss, pushing her body flush against his and sighing at the smooth texture of his skin on hers. That had to be one of the things she loved most about making love. The intimacy. This was as physically close as humans could get!

A low moan fell from her lips as Itachi moved his kisses downwards, trailing them over her jaw, her neck, down over her collarbone and to her chest and Sakura's back arched into his mouth when it closed over her breast. To feel more of the wonderful sensation she shifted impossibly closer, raising herself just that little bit higher and earning herself a smirk from her husband.

She smiled.

This man was her husband. They had started off more or less as friends with benefits. They hadn't been lovers, but it had also been more than just a casual fling. Back then Itachi would turn up at her window with one excuse or another or maybe even needing her to heal him (although that was rare to happen). It had been simple, easy. But then again, where was the fun in that? No point in denying that they had actually enjoyed sneaking around, knowing that there was a possibility of being caught in the act. It had actually been rather exciting and often caused mind blowing orgasms!

But now…

Once more she lowered herself until he was fully inside of her and instead of lifting herself again, Sakura went back to rolling her hips.

Now, they were married. They were going to be a family with two beautiful little children. Sure, Sakura was certain she was going to miss that rush that would flood her when they were almost caught, but she would never miss the awful feeling that would wash over her when she saw Itachi in the street and he only nodded in acknowledgement to her. That had been painful. There were other ways to add a little thrill to their relationship! In her eyes, this was much better than their previous relationship. Everything was out in the open (except for her pregnancy, of course – they had yet to inform Fugaku she was carrying twins!) and they could actually be seen together now without fear of being found out.

It was with that thought that Sakura came undone, that her hips began grinding into Itachi's and creating a delicious friction for the both of them. During her climax, she could vaguely hear Itachi's soft sounds that were almost drowned out by her own wanton, breathless moans of his name. His hold on her tightened and he stilled her movements, pulling her impossibly closer and holding her there as he came. Her hold was just as tight. One hand fisted in his hair, the other wrapped around his shoulders and their foreheads pressed together, their pants for breath hot against the other's lips.

"I love you." Sakura smiled, trying to calm her racing heart whilst staring into warm, onyx eyes.

He smirked in return. A small, devilish smirk that made the fire that had slowly been flickering out, erupt to new heights. "That is why we are here."

* * *

In her honest opinion, their honeymoon was amazing.

It had only been one week and already they had done so much! There had been sex, exploring, more sex, taking a trip to the nearest town, even more sex, going out for dinner…

Had Sakura mentioned that there was a lot of sex?

She smiled to herself, looking down at the book in her hands. It had been bought when they had gone to the nearest town, when they had visited the bookstore there. Sakura enjoyed reading a decent romance novel every now and then, although she mostly stuck to mysteries and thrillers. And whilst Itachi had gone to collect them some food, she had decided to peacefully read her book for a short while until he returned. They would have gone to the restaurant section of the inn, but had instead decided on a quiet night alone. Almost all of their nights were spent that way.

Their first full day at the inn, Itachi had asked her if it was okay for them to be having sex while she was in the early stages of pregnancy. It had been so adorable to hear him ask her that! Of course, he hadn't been pleased when she told _him_ that, but it was fine. Sakura had also informed Itachi that their children would be fine. She was a medic, after all. If anything went wrong, she would know about it. Not to mention they were only four hours away from Konoha and that was when walking and not travelling at top speeds.

It was sad that they were leaving in a week. She didn't want to go! Being here was so peaceful, so calm and quiet. And despite how far away from town it was, there was still quite a lot to do! Perhaps not at the inn, but if they travelled for about half an hour to forty–five minutes, then they would reach town. There was plenty to do there.

For a while, they both felt normal. Here they were not shinobi. The innkeepers treated them as though they were civilians (high class and extremely important civilians, but still civilians). Nobody looked at them like they were murderers, like what they did for a living was disgusting or a sin. It was like they could completely relax here and act like an ordinary newly–wedded couple would act. Sakura wasn't an idiot, though. She knew Itachi was still on guard. Years of being in ANBU taught him, forced him, to never let his guard down. The good thing, though, was that with the more he opened up to her, the less his nightmares haunted his dreams. Now Itachi could sleep through the entire night without waking up. Sure, his dreams weren't always pleasant (that was to be expected) but at least he could stay asleep now and get the rest he needed.

When she heard the door to their room opening, Sakura shifted in the bed, sitting up straighter against the headboard and folding her legs Indian style. And once Itachi entered the room, shut the door and slipped off his sandals, she marked her page and closed her book, placing it down onto the bedside table. He gave her a small smile and joined her on the bed despite the fact that there was a table not too far from them. At the sight of the tempura before her, Sakura grinned up at Itachi, both murmuring their thanks, and dug in wholeheartedly.

They conversed quietly over dinner. Sakura telling Itachi what she thought they should do next and Itachi smiling in response, giving a nod or his opinion here and there. It had occurred to him earlier that day that he had not smiled so much in a long while, if ever. It felt strange but at the same time, it felt so right.

It felt like they truly were a family.

Sakura smiled brightly, handing over her empty plate to Itachi and her smile only grew once he had placed them onto the table and turned back to her, holding out his hand.

"There is something I want to show you."

She took his hand wordlessly and allowed Itachi to help her stand and guide her through the sliding doors of their room, the one that took them to the _onsen_. Eyebrows knitting together and biting her lower lip, Sakura wondered where her husband could be taking her.

And then they arrived and her breath left her.

It was beautiful! Itachi had gathered her in his arms and hopped onto the roof of the inn. The roof of the inn seemed to have been done up in a special way, as there were little lights around it as well as a couple of blankets on the floor. Had he done this for her? Glancing up at him, Sakura couldn't help but smile. He had. It was the look in his eyes that told her.

"You are always saying you enjoy watching the stars." Itachi murmured as he sat down on the blankets and patted the space beside him. Sakura sat down silently, still in awe. "I thought you would like to see them tonight."

"You thought right!" She grinned, kissing his cheek before laying back on the blankets and gazing up at the night sky. The stars somehow seemed to become even brighter when Itachi switched the lights off. "This is perfect, Itachi. Thank you."

* * *

Sakura was sad.

Their honeymoon was over and they had been back in Konoha for a couple of days now. Already, Itachi was sent out on a mission, but neither of them argued since he had had a two week break when usually, he never took a break for longer than three days. Well, there was that one time Sakura had demanded he be given a break, but…

Her stomach was growing already. That wasn't a surprise since she was now closer to four months pregnant than three and she was also carrying twins. Oh God. Fifteen going on sixteen weeks pregnant. Sakura's heart fluttered. Soon, she would be able to feel her babies moving.

Growing up, she had honestly believed she wouldn't be able to conceive for several reasons. The first being how small her body was. In her eyes, she didn't exactly have the right kind of body to carry children. Her hips were a little too slim. The second was her periods. They had always been irregular and quite painful, although the contraception jutsu had helped her with that. But those thoughts were wrong. And Sakura could not be any happier. She had a husband who loved her and they were going to be having two beautiful babies!

She made a mental note to keep them away from Naruto. It was scary enough thinking he could influence one of her kids, but now there were two. Double the trouble. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Perhaps giving him a beating will stop him from teaching them that stupid, perverted jutsu!

When they returned from their honeymoon, Sakura had been stunned when Itachi asked her if they could keep a journal of sorts. Not one of them keeping a journal, but the pair of them. As husband and wife. As parents. He wanted to write down everything that happened during the pregnancy, so that they could look back on it and smile. So they did that. Every month, they had decided to take pictures together and of her bump, to see how much it had grown and they measured it in inches, too.

Right now, her bump was thirty inches and Shizune said she was developing nicely.

They had bought a large scrapbook and because she wasn't that skilled when it came to art and designing, Itachi had handed it to his mother, who made it look so… Sakura wasn't sure of the word, but it was amazing. It was a shame they hadn't thought of creating a scrapbook earlier, but Sakura didn't mind too much. They started at three months, so it would go from three to nine. Or however long she carried the twins for. Apparently some women only carried twins for eight months.

It actually wasn't too bad having her home to herself. Well, not entirely to herself, as Sasuke was still staying with her, but during the day, she meant. During the day, Sasuke would give her some space by going out. He probably wasn't doing it to actually give her space because he had missions and training and whatever. Still, it was nice that he stayed. When Itachi wasn't around it brought her comfort to know she wasn't alone.

* * *

Her bump was now thirty–two inches – she was four months into her pregnancy.

There was no use in attempting to hide it anymore. Not when Sakura was beginning to show. So, she and Itachi had informed Tsunade (even though she already knew, but they had to keep up appearances) and made sure that not only Shizune had been in the room, but also Izumo and Kotetsu. They were almost as bad as Ino when it came to gossip.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Tsunade asked with a fine, blonde eyebrow raised expectantly. She knew exactly why the couple were standing before her desk. One was standing tall and proud, whilst the other was nervous and seemed to be putting everything she had into _not_ fidgeting.

"Yes, Hokage–sama." Itachi replied formally, his head lowering respectfully before he looked back up at the blonde. "I have come to ask that you remove Sakura from active duty for a while."

In the background, not too far from them, Izumo dropped his pen and Kotetsu's eyes widened. And no matter how hard they tried to hide their shock, even with his back turned to them, Itachi noticed it. Nothing went unnoticed by him. Shizune bit her lip worriedly, tightening her hold on Tonton.

"Oh?" Tsunade pressed as she leaned forward and placed her elbows onto her desk, folding her hands and placing them in front of her mouth. "And why should I do that?"

"Because I'm pregnant, Tsunade–sama." Sakura smiled softly and even through the baggy, standard–issued sweatshirt she was wearing (the outfit all chunin and jonin wore was surprisingly perfect for hiding the evidence), she could already feel her bump.

Like they had been hoping, Izumo and Kotetsu looked about ready to explode with the need to spread the news. Uchiha Itachi had already impregnated his wife after only a month of being married!

"Izumo, Kotetsu, you are both dismissed." the blonde stated coolly, her narrowed eyes fixed on Sakura. "Come back in about an hour to collect the paperwork."

They were gone not even a second later.

And the next day, everybody was talking about Itachi and Sakura's pregnancy.

* * *

The past month had been crazy!

So many people had turned up with gifts and congratulations. The living room of her childhood home was littered in either wrapping paper, gifts or food wrappers. It was disgusting, Sakura was aware of that, but she couldn't help it! She was exhausted _all the time_ and cleaning up was too much effort (it was a good thing that Itachi and Sasuke were there, otherwise she'd have a home that looked like Naruto's). And damn it, all of the food tasted so good.

By now, her bump was thirty–five inches. Five months. Eighteen and a half weeks.

It was safe to say she was beginning to really show.

Sakura had always been a petite girl (which she didn't necessarily mind anymore, as Itachi had once told her that he liked that about her), so when her bump began to become more and more obvious, questions began to rise. How long had she been pregnant for? Had they conceived before the wedding? Was Uchiha Itachi even the father?

Oh Sakura had so nearly murdered somebody. It hadn't helped that her moods were all over the place.

Sitting down beside her husband, Sakura groaned. Carrying twins was exhausting. Shizune had told her she was over halfway through her pregnancy now and had handed her a couple of books that should help her prepare more for the arrival. They also helped her understand what was happening inside of her womb. Her babies had fingernails now! _Fingernails!_

"I'm–"

As she suddenly cut herself off, Itachi glanced down at her, his eyes immediately searching her expression for any signs of pain. There were none. Just awe. Surprise.

"Itachi, I can feel them!" she whispered happily, a tender, loving expression filling her features. Her eyes snapped up to his, wide and tear filled. But they were not tears of sadness or hurt. They were tears of happiness. "I can _feel_ them moving!"

* * *

Thirty–eight inches. In other words, six months into her pregnancy.

One night, Sakura had entered her childhood home and spotted Itachi sitting down on the sofa, reading a pregnancy book. Later that night, he had informed her that it was to prepare him more, so that he would know what to do during labour as well as how to pick up on the signs of Sakura possibly going into labour. Itachi wouldn't listen when she tried to tell him he wouldn't be able to pick up on those changes unless her waters broke or her contractions were–

Oh God Sakura was terrified about the contractions.

Since last month, she felt their babies moving more and more often. She couldn't even describe the overwhelming feeling it brought to her. When she was younger, Sakura had always cringed at the thought of something moving inside of her womb and one time after she started working at the hospital, she had seen a pregnant woman. Her baby had been kicking so hard Sakura had literally been able to see the foot! It scared her. There were two babies inside of her, which meant double the kicking. Actually no, not all babies kicked.

Something told her the two inside her _would_ kick her. They'd probably kick the hell out of her.

"So you're staying here until I go into labour?"

Sasuke glanced up at Sakura with a blank expression. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Itachi isn't always going to be here." he reminded her and sat up straighter in his chair at the table. It was morning, but since Itachi had been sent on a solo–mission, it was just the pair of them. Kind of nice, Sakura supposed. Sasuke was being extremely nice (for him) to her lately and whilst it was strange, she was definitely taking advantage of it. "Tsunade will probably stop sending him on missions when you're in your final two months of pregnancy, but in case you go into early labour, he asked that I stay here."

Early labour. Just the thought of her babies being premature terrified her. Sakura knew that being premature wasn't extremely bad, but it was still bad. Anything could happen if the doctors couldn't act in time. Suddenly, the thought of Sasuke sticking around didn't sound too bad. She would rather it be Itachi, but like the younger Uchiha had stated, Itachi was busy. He was one of the village's most powerful shinobi. He was in high demand.

"Thanks for doing this, Sasuke." Sakura smiled at him, though paused for a moment as she took a bite of her breakfast. "Have you decided what you're going to do when Itachi and I move out of here?" At his silence, she quickly continued. "I mean, you can stay here as long as you like, but I think you should speak with your–"

"I have." Sasuke told her with a sigh. "I spoke to my parents. And I've told them that I'll never forgive them for what they almost did. Just the thought of Itachi being made to go through something like that, just the thought of myself growing up _hating_ my older brother and eventually killing him, makes so angry that I can't even see straight." His fists trembled for a moment and nearly snapped the chopsticks in his hand, but Sasuke forced himself to calm down. "They have somewhat accepted that I will never forgive them for that."

Sakura gave him a small smile. "Like I said, you can stay here as long as you like."

He shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I spoke with them about living arrangements once you move into your new home with Itachi and I told my father that I refuse to live with somebody I can't trust one hundred percent. It will keep me awake at night and have me on edge constantly. Questions I don't know the answers to will torture my mind until I'm insane…" Sasuke sighed again, his eyebrows knitting together. "I will be returning to the district, but not to my old home. Instead I will be moving into my own home."

This time, Sakura smiled brightly. "I think it's great that you want to have your own home! And whenever you want, you can come over. Well, not _all the time_, but more or less!"

Sasuke smirked.

* * *

Forty–one inches. Seven months.

"I'm going to pop!"

Watching his wife walking slowly by his side, Itachi chuckled. "You are not going to pop, Sakura."

Today was the day. Maybe not _the day_, but close enough. Today was the day they moved out and into their new home. Right at that moment in time the couple were slowly walking towards the district.

"I'm not even walking." she growled. "I'm _waddling!"_

It took everything in him not to show his amusement. Placing his hand on her lower back, Itachi guided her around a corner, though didn't move his hand after. It seemed to relax her, so he kept it there whilst also accepting her hand which had been held out. They had to walk almost ridiculously slowly, but Itachi didn't mind. In fact he felt sorry for Sakura. Just this morning she had been telling him about her ankles feeling sore and swollen and looking down at them now, even through her sandals, he could see they were hurting her. She was limping.

"We will be there soon and I believe you will enjoy the surprise."

"I find that hard to believe." Sakura grumbled, glaring at the villagers watching her and Itachi. It was so unnerving having them stare at her in such a way. Some were watching her with tender looks whilst others gave her accusing glares. Oh she knew what they were saying about her. Ino had filled her in on the latest gossip just yesterday. Apparently, they were questioning Sakura's faithfulness. Bastards. "Itachi!" She suddenly groaned and looked up at him almost desperately. "Can't you just transport us to the house?"

He shook his head and answered her patiently, "You know we cannot use transportation jutsu whilst you are pregnant, Sakura. It could have negative effects on our children."

"Well, what about carrying me, then?" Sakura all but begged. "Do _something!"_

"Very well." Itachi sighed as they came to a stop and a moment later, he was leaning down and gently lifting her bridal–style, ignoring the stunned expressions of the villagers. "Is this better?"

A groan of relief reached his ears. "Like you wouldn't believe." Her head dropped to his shoulder. "Have you ever been on your feet for days and days, carrying extra weight?" Itachi nodded once. "It feels like that. It feels like I've been walking for days without rest and my feet are freaking killing me!"

The rest of the journey was quiet and went by much more quickly since Itachi had been able to walk faster.

When they finally arrived at their new home, Sakura felt her breath leave her and with it, went her bad mood. Their home was at least a five minute walk away from other houses or shops and as Itachi lowered her onto her feet, opening the gate for her and following Sakura down the path that guided them to their front door, a smile graced her lips. Surrounding the house was a garden with many of her favourite flowers bordering along the bottom of the fence. It would be a great spot to do some light training. Originally, the area had been a training ground anyway.

Their home looked rather large on the outside and had a front porch with flower pots here and there, giving it a homely look. Sakura already loved it.

"Are you ready to see our new home?"

Itachi already knew how it looked on the inside, much to Sakura's displeasure. Being pregnant left her with very little do to nowadays since Tsunade had placed her on early maternity leave from the hospital. All Sakura had been capable of doing was reading books, meeting with friends (when they were not busy) and spending time with her team, Itachi or Mikoto. Sometimes Shisui dropped by to see how she was doing, too. Oh and there were a few pregnancy classes that she had been told to try out.

"Of course I'm ready!" she practically yelled while doing her best to storm over to the front door. It was difficult and the dramatic effect was ruined when Sakura reached the stairs and had to take them slowly. So slowly that Itachi stepped behind her, prepared for her to most likely topple over. He needn't worry, Sakura thought grumpily, because she'd probably bounce straight back up. "You've been keeping me in the dark about our new home!"

Gently taking her hand, Itachi helped her up the steps more easily when he noticed her struggling. Clearly the ache of her swollen feet and ankles was catching up to her. "I wanted to surprise you."

She sighed with relief the second they finally reached the front door. There had only been four steps yet it had felt like an eternity of climbing them. And Sakura was grateful that Itachi seemed to pick up on her aching for he skipped viewing the entire home and instead guided her to a room that utterly stunned her. Their bedroom. And it was beautiful!

"Perhaps you should rest before seeing the rest of our home." he murmured in her ear, slipping off her clothes whilst all Sakura could do was stare at their room in awe.

"Our honeymoon suite…" she finally gasped.

Itachi smiled and pressed a soft kiss against her neck. "You mentioned that you wished our own room would look the same way as our honeymoon suite did. I merely took note of your expressions when looking at certain pieces of furniture as well as listened to what you had to say. All I did was pay attention to you, Sakura." he told her honestly when Sakura turned to face him, tears of happiness filling her eyes. "Your friend, Yamanaka Ino, also had a part to play in this. I gave her a description of how the room should look and she dealt with the colours."

Oh she should have known! Sakura smiled lovingly and wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck, inwardly giggling at the fact they couldn't embrace properly due to the bump. It didn't upset her or make her feel fat. It brought her a sense of comfort. This was her family, now. "Thank you. It's beautiful!"

She was glad Itachi had gone to Ino for the colours, as there was now a delicate and simple balance between creams, dark wood, black and crimson. Other than the colours, the room looked exactly how it had during their honeymoon – including the fireplace! That was most likely why they were on the ground floor, even though Sakura had noticed the stairs on the way into their home.

Wait.

_Exactly_ like their honeymoon suite?

Noticing the look on her features, Itachi smirked. "We have our own private _onsen_ out back, although unlike our honeymoon suite, this one has a roof and four walls instead of three. The ceiling is made of glass, however," His voice dropped to a murmur once more as Itachi leaned down, his teeth grazing Sakura's earlobe and making her breathing hitch, "so you can look up at the stars whilst I make love to you."

That sounded perfect, although Sakura knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on the stars, especially if Itachi was making love to her.

"How about a soak in the _onsen_?"

She smiled and in response to his question, Sakura kissed her way up his chest, pulling Itachi down to her height so that she could kiss him whilst dragging him in the direction of the sliding doors.

* * *

"Itachi," Ino gasped as she shot up to her feet and darted over to him. Already, she had her figure back only a month after giving birth, "I'm so glad you got here on time. Tsunade–sama said she wasn't sure you'd be able to leave the mission–"

"Where is Sakura?"

The blonde bit her lip, glancing down at the ground.

Itachi gritted his teeth. "What happened, Yamanaka?"

His voice was cold and deadly, sending shivers of fear up Ino's spine. It seemed even though he had definitely been more open and warmer these past couple of months, Itachi was definitely still just as intimidating. That didn't surprise her. Receiving an urgent message to return home immediately, because something had happened to his heavily pregnant wife, would be enough to make even Naruto lose his cool.

"I'm not sure." Ino told him honestly. "I went by about an hour ago to see if Sakura needed anything, what with her barely even capable of walking to the front door without her freaking ankles–" Seeing his impatience, her hands began to pull at the end of her shirt. "Look, when I arrived, Sakura was laying on the ground, unconscious. I have no idea how long she'd been like that for, but it looked like she had fallen over or something, because there was this little step ladder thing that was toppled over."

Oh God. Itachi felt bile rise in his throat, felt his stomach twisting sharply. Sakura was barely even eight months pregnant. Would the babies be able to survive if they were born prematurely? Had they even survived the fall? His jaw clenched. And what about Sakura? Damn it. Itachi knew he should have declined that mission! That awful feeling in his gut had been warning him about leaving his wife when she was so far into her pregnancy. But Sakura had talked him into going, saying it was for the good of the village. At the time, Itachi had been so grateful that he had found a woman who understood that he would do anything for the village, but right now… Just no. Nothing was more important than Sakura's health as well as their children's health.

"Luckily for her," Ino continued, not noticing that she no longer had Itachi's attention, "Sasuke and Naruto had swung by for the same reason as I did. Naruto created a couple of clones and sent them straight to Tsunade–sama, whilst his real body as well as Sasuke, carefully picked Sakura up and brought her straight to the hospital. To stop the villagers' from talking, your brother created a genjutsu. Of course, Shisui picked up on it, which is why he personally went to find you. He's faster than any messenger bird we have."

That was true. If it hadn't been for Shisui, Itachi would still be travelling back to Konoha right at that moment in time. Using his transportation jutsu, he had transported them both to the hospital, frightening the life out of the receptionist. Itachi didn't care. He needed to see Sakura.

"Where is she?"

"In surgery." she replied quietly. "There's a viewing window but… You honestly don't want to see something like that. It's going to make you worry more."

He didn't care. He–

"Itachi–san!" a familiar voice called and when he turned, he found Shizune stood in a doorway, waving him over to her. He went to her without question. "Here, put on these scrubs and make sure to wash your hands. Sakura regained consciousness and is asking for you."

They were performing surgery on her whilst she was still conscious? No. Itachi tried his best to shove aside his personal feelings, but at a time like this, it was close to impossible to do. Not surprising, really.

"Do you know what happened?" Itachi asked Shizune as the woman helped him into a set of scrubs before guiding him over to a sink where he washed his hands thoroughly.

Slipping on some gloves, the pair went through a set of double doors and he felt his breath leave him at the sight. Sakura was laying on an operating table with something blocking her view of what Tsunade and other medics were currently working on. He tried his best not to focus on that and instead made his way straight to Sakura, nodding once in thanks when a medic allowed him to stand beside her head. Her eyes were hazy as she glanced up at him, almost like she was about to pass out, but a small, scared smile pulled at her lips.

"I–I'm so… sorry, 'tachi."

He shook his head and brushed the hair off her face, almost forgetting about those around him. "This is not your fault, Sakura."

Tears filled her eyes. "It is. I was trying… trying to reach s–something and… I fell."

"Don't be stupid, Sakura!" Tsunade growled, summoning her chakra to create a chakra scalpel so she could cut through her clothing. "Tell Itachi the reason behind why you fell." When only silence greeted her, the blonde quickly glanced up at Sakura's features, but was happy to see that she was still awake. "Your waters broke, causing you to slip on that stupid stool! You were unconscious when Ino found you because you hit your head on the way down." She nodded slowly, her eyes growing heavier. Tsunade growled. "Shizune, I'll need you to help me with this. From what I can tell when I examined Sakura, there is no extreme damage or concerns, so for now we're going to induce labour. Her waters have broken, but there are no contractions. At least not any that we are aware of."

In other words, Sakura had either told them that there were no contractions, or she just didn't show the pain she felt.

"Uchiha–"

"I am not leaving her side." Itachi told Tsunade in a flat voice, one that held no room for arguments. He knew it was disrespectful of him to speak to the Hokage in such a way, but right now he was more concerned for his wife and children.

She smirked. "Good, because I'm going to need you to try and keep her awake for this, otherwise we may have to do a caesarean section."

Nodding once, Itachi glanced back down at Sakura and gave her a small smile. "The names–"

"Tsuki." she whispered hoarsely. "For our daughter. I like the name you chose for her."

His eyes warmed. "How do you know we have a daughter?"

"My dreams… I see her in them all the time…"

"Stay awake, Sakura." Itachi told her, making sure to keep their eyes locked as he cradled her head. How was it that she couldn't feel the contractions? That was not normal, was it? No… Sakura _could_ feel pain. Every so often, her features would contort with it and each time that happened, the less composed she became. They were becoming more frequent. "And if we have a son?"

"…Definitely not Naruto." The medics as well as Itachi chuckled. "I still l–like the name… Kiyoshi." Sakura told him with a smile.

"Then Kiyoshi it shall be." he whispered to her.

Her smile widened for a moment.

But then her eyes rolled to the back of her head and Itachi felt a sharp pang in his chest as she suddenly went limp.

"_Sakura!"_

* * *

**A/N - Bit of a dramatic ending, I would say. After this, there is only one more chapter!**

**Somebody reviewed last week saying this has gotten boring. It most likely has, in all honesty. The story was only supposed to be five chapters long and there wasn't supposed to be any fighting it in. Between Itachi and Sakura, yes, but not battle-type fighting.**

**Anyways. If you find any mistakes in this chapter, please leave them in your review, because I'm in a hurry to get ready and go out. I love shopping! I usually stick to online shopping, but meh. It's my eighteenth birthday on Sunday, so I need to go and find an outfit to go out in! :-D**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	13. Love

**Chapter 13 – Love**

* * *

_Fifteen years later_

* * *

Today was always difficult for Itachi.

It was winter. The air was cold, snow was covering the ground and children were growing more and more excited for Christmas. Itachi himself was not much of a believer, wasn't all that religious, but he knew that some things would never be explained. Sure, nowadays Christmas was not what it used to be, but that was beside the point. His point was that it was almost Christmas, meaning only one thing.

The twins' birthday.

Like Sakura had known, she gave birth to one boy and one girl. Kiyoshi and Tsuki. Also, like Sakura had told him during her pregnancy, Tsuki grew into a beautiful, powerful kunoichi. Her long dark hair trailed down to her waist, though had choppy layers at the same time. For some reason she enjoyed the messy look. Itachi had no idea where that came from. Her black bangs often fell into her stunningly apple green eyes, the same eyes as her mother's. Kiyoshi also had black hair (although he preferred to keep it short and tidy) and green eyes. The twins also had the same pale complexion, but that was where similarities stopped.

Unlike Tsuki's full lips, Kiyoshi's were thin. She had a small, button nose, whereas he had a sharp nose like his father's. They both had the same eye shape as their father, the same impossibly long, black eyelashes, although they had their mother's eye colour. Itachi liked that about Tsuki and Kiyoshi. There was a perfect balance between both himself and Sakura in there.

They were both incredibly skilled. Whenever he got the chance, Itachi trained them both, although made sure to remind his children that even though they were twins, they were their own person. He had read somewhere before that it was important to do such a thing. They understood perfectly. Whilst they both excelled at genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu, they each had their strengths and weaknesses. Tsuki was a natural with taijutsu and genjutsu, whereas Kiyoshi was a natural with ninjutsu. At that moment in time, both were storing chakra into their foreheads like Tsunade and Sakura (meaning they were both skilled in medical ninjutsu, too). His daughter signed a contract with his crows as well as Sakura's slugs and Kiyoshi signed a contract with only slugs.

It seemed they were more like Sakura, but there were definitely moments where Tsuki and Kiyoshi were more like Itachi. Tsuki had a personality similar to his own and Kiyoshi was known as a prodigy. Due to him being born first, Kiyoshi was clan heir. But Itachi knew his daughter did not mind. She had opened up to him about it one time, when there had been a clan meeting about it. After the discussion Tsuki had approached him as he sat on the front porch, watching the rain. They enjoyed watching the rain together. Tsuki told him that she was glad Kiyoshi was clan heir, because he could be rather hotheaded at times and would never allow for anyone to walk over him. No, Tsuki wouldn't allow that either as she could be extremely intimidating at times, but like her father, she often went with things to save unnecessary arguments from starting.

Bringing up twins had not been easy – understatement of the century. They calmed down when they entered the academy, but before then… Itachi inwardly shook his head and sighed. It had been difficult to say the least.

Sitting down at the table, Itachi gave a small smile to the twins. "These are for you," he told them as he handed them wrapped up boxes, "happy birthday."

Tsuki watched him silently for a moment, ignoring her twin brother as he excitedly accepted the gift and unwrapped it. Like her father, she was extremely observant. Over the years Tsuki had picked up on the fact that Itachi would become more reserved around the time of her and Kiyoshi's birthday. She knew why, but at the same time, she didn't fully understand why it upset him so greatly.

"Thank you, father." Kiyoshi exclaimed gratefully. He held up the katana and watched in awe as the light bounced off it. "This is amazing!"

"It belonged to your grandfather." Itachi murmured as he poured cups of tea for everyone. "He did not use it often, but I am certain my father would wish for you to have it. It has been kept sharpened so that the blade would not dull and I will teach you fully on how to take care of and clean such a weapon."

Frowning, Kiyoshi lowered the katana and carefully placed it back into the box. "What about you? Or uncle Sasuke? Would he not wish for his own sons to have it?"

Itachi merely shook his head.

Having accepted the boxed gift before her father began pouring tea, Tsuki opened it and once unwrapped, she blinked in confusion. Unlike the box Kiyoshi had been given (which had been rather large, considering he was given a katana), hers was small. Slowly, she opened the rectangular black box and stared down at the necklace laying on the velvet cushion.

"This is…"

She could not find the word. From what Tsuki could tell, it was made of crystal and even though she was not one to be ungrateful for gifts, this was not something she would wear. It looked a little childish for her. The chain was simple, but the pendant was–

"Wait." she gasped, lifting the necklace out of the box and holding it up. "This belonged to…?"

"Yes." Itachi answered when his daughter trailed off. "It is in the shape of a cherry blossom, so I believe it is obvious who it previously belonged to."

They did not view their presents as hand–me–downs. The twins believed the gifts were incredibly precious and they were absolutely honoured to accept them. All previous thought of not wearing the necklace fled from Tsuki's mind as she lifted it higher into the air until the charm rested on her chest and nodded in thanks as Kiyoshi closed the clasp behind her neck for her. Once done, she held the charm in her hand for a moment and smiled softly.

"Thank you, father."

Kiyoshi nodded gratefully. "The gifts mean a lot to us."

Oh that was one thing Itachi did not like. The twins had a habit of finishing each other's sentences. It wasn't them finishing each other's sentences that bothered him, it was how in–sync their minds were. No, it was as though they could read each other's minds. It unsettled Itachi. Growing up, with Naruto around, they had been pranksters and Itachi had had to be on guard around them almost all of the time. Seeing them exchange knowing looks made him feel unnerved even now.

Suddenly, the sound of small feet beating against the ground, running in their direction, grabbed all of their attention. Kiyoshi smirked knowingly, Tsuki rolled her eyes and Itachi sighed, counting down in his mind what was about to follow.

"_Misaki! Takeshi! Akio!_" a loud voice yelled and soon enough, slightly larger feet were stomping against the wooden flooring of their home. "_If you make me chase you through this house one more time…_" The annoyed voice trailed off, threat not even needing to be finished to know what would happen. "_Don't forget it's your brother and sister's birthday today!_"

All three sets of small feet stopped, but the larger ones continued to stomp their way towards the kitchen.

"_Go and wish them happy birthday!"_

And then three more were seated at the table, a table which had once been quiet and peaceful. It wasn't all too loud, but it certainly was not quiet and peaceful.

The oldest of the three, at twelve years old, was Takeshi. His dark hair was messy, reminding Itachi of Shisui's hair and his eyes were forest green, a much darker shade than his mother's. He enjoyed following Sasuke around, just like Sasuke had followed Itachi around. The uncle did not mind. In fact he seemed to like training Takeshi. Also like Sasuke, he could be easily tricked into competitions and bets and things of the sort.

Next, was Akio. Akio was like a miniature Naruto and was always bubbling with excitement. He was eight years old – nine in three months. Unlike his siblings, both his eyes and hair were dark. He was also rather tall for his age, looking at least eleven. As Itachi had just thought, Akio was pretty much a miniature Naruto from the way he was always grinning and making jokes, right down to the incredibly bright clothes. Fortunately, he did not wear orange. Instead he chose red.

Last, but certainly not least, was Misaki. Itachi gave his youngest daughter a gentle smile as she sat down beside him, staring up at him with impossibly green eyes and just like on the day she had been born, he found himself wanting to give her the world. It was the same with Tsuki. There was simply something different about having daughters to having sons. It made you feel as though you _had_ to protect them and give them everything they wanted. No, that sounded wrong. It was different for Tsuki and Misaki because… Well, they were his daughters. His little girls, no matter how old they got.

Misaki was three years old and was at that stage where her father was her absolute world. His older daughter, Tsuki, was still in that certain stage and she was now fifteen years old. Secretly, Itachi hoped neither grew out of it. Misaki's hair was dark, but it had a certain tint to it. If you caught sight of it in the light or even the sun, you could see streaks of pink. They were dark though and barely even noticeable. She was a tiny little thing and always seemed adamant on clinging to her father. Itachi did not mind.

He did not raise his children how he and Sasuke had been raised. Around a year after the twins had been born, Itachi had been made patriarch of the clan. It would have been done sooner, but Fugaku had agreed that the new family needed time to settle and get used to certain things, such as parenthood.

"Happy birthday!" a cheerful voice sounded and Itachi smiled at the sound of her voice.

This time of year was so hard for Itachi for two different reasons. The first being that he had almost lost the woman he loved whilst she had been giving birth to their children. Deep down that was something Itachi had never forgiven himself for and he couldn't see himself doing so any time soon. He should have been there. Had he been there, perhaps Itachi could have saved her from that fall. The second reason was the fact that both his parents passed away during the winter season.

The first had been Fugaku. Around six years after retiring from being head of the clan, he had been sent on a mission he never returned from. Well, his body returned to Konoha, but Uchiha Fugaku never truly returned. It was two years later when Mikoto passed away. She died of a broken heart. That had been the moment Itachi and Sasuke truly understood how deeply their mother had loved their father, despite it being an arranged marriage.

As she fully entered the kitchen, Sakura kissed both Kiyoshi's and Tsuki's cheeks before taking her place beside Itachi.

"Any plans for today?"

Itachi inwardly sighed. Now she had done it.

"I'm going to train with uncle Sasuke!" Takeshi told them. "He got back from his mission last night and promised we could train together today. We're working on chidori and Sasuke said I'm doing well with picking everything up!"

"Arashi invited me to go and train at the Hyuuga district!" Akio practically yelled, despite the fact they were all right next to him. Tsuki glared down at her brother, silently telling him to lower his voice and as Itachi glanced down at Misaki, he saw her doing the same thing. "He said his dad's going to be there and that he's going to train us both."

Arashi was Naruto and Hinata's eldest child. He was the same age as Akio and the two were best friends. Naruto had been Rokudaime Hokage for around ten years now and he had fit into the role rather well. As well as Arashi, Naruto and Hinata had another child. He was four years old and called Daisuke.

Pretty much everybody from Konoha Twelve had settled down and started a family. Temari had moved to Konoha and married Shikamaru (since Shikamaru was the heir to the Nara clan and couldn't move away). Tenten had Neji. Kiba and Shino married women from their clans. Lee was dating a civilian. Ino had Choji and together they had four children.

Aki was their first born son and a month older than Tsuki and Kiyoshi. Then there was Fujita (he was thirteen years old), Haru (he was ten years old) and then there was little Akina. Akina was the same age as Misaki – three years old. Ino had joked about the two becoming rivals, just as their mothers had been. Sakura hoped so as it was partly because of their rivalry that she pushed herself so hard. She _had_ to be better than Ino. Akina was like a younger version of Ino. It secretly terrified them all.

Everybody had found someone. Including Sasuke. He was taking things slowly with the woman he was now courting, although they could all tell he was in no rush to settle down yet. They didn't understand why. Sasuke simply did not want children of his own and not a lot of women agreed with his decisions. He was like Kakashi, now that Sakura thought about it. Both were loners and neither had children. Kakashi was satisfied with the occasional one night stand, as he did not want the bonds having a family brought. He had once told her that he didn't ever want to risk falling in love.

Part of her hoped the two would change their minds and start families of their own, but she never said it. They were happy the way they were.

The sound of the front door opening had Takeshi and Akio grinning wildly at each other, which could only mean one thing: their guests were none other than Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. And Sakura's suspicions were proven to be correct as the two entered the kitchen, Sasuke shoving Naruto into the door frame so that he could enter first. They still acted like little kids when around each other!

"Aw, c'mon, Sasuke!" Naruto growled with annoyance, rubbing his sore shoulder with a pout. "I'm Hokage, so you can't go around shoving me into doors!"

Putting on an annoyed expression as she watched Sasuke sit down next to Takeshi and Naruto next to the Kiyoshi, Sakura tapped her fingers against the table. "Haven't you guys ever heard of knocking?" she asked in a soft and deadly voice and her fingers stilled.

"Don't be like that, Sakura–chan!" Naruto grinned and threw his arm over Kiyoshi's shoulders, dragging the boy closer and almost causing him to choke on his tea. "It's my duty as Kiyoshi and Tsuki's favourite uncle to be here and wish them a happy birthday! Oh, by the way, Hinata has your presents, so she'll give them to you both tonight."

Sasuke huffed.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Naruto," Tsuki smirked, "but you're not my favourite uncle."

"Eh?" he whined, letting go of Kiyoshi so that he could talk over him. "Don't tell me it's Sasuke!"

"Nope." Her reply ripped the smirk from Sasuke's features, much to Itachi and Sakura's amusement.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he turned his head to the right to glare at Tsuki. However, knowing that he had a soft spot for his older brother's and best friend's children, she was not afraid. Instead Tsuki smirked again. "Shisui?"

"Uncle Shisui is mine!" Misaki yelled over them all. She turned to look up at her father with large eyes. "Right, daddy?"

Akio rolled his eyes, as did Takeshi.

"No, Shisui is not my favourite uncle, either. Although he certainly ranks higher on my list than you, Naruto!" Tsuki teased and took a sip of her tea.

Many at the table frowned. Who else could there be?

Waiting for a second and inwardly grinning as she saw her mother lifting her cup to take a sip, Tsuki told them, "Kakashi is my favourite uncle."

Tea was suddenly spat across the table by a now–coughing Sakura. She lowered her cup to the table with shaking hands, barely even hearing the groan of annoyance from Akio as he wiped the tea from his face, as she was too focused on trying to breathe once again. Itachi patted her back and after a second, Misaki joined him, seeming to appear out of nowhere. It was obvious Shisui was her favourite uncle. There was no doubt in any of their minds that one day, she would probably be as fast as him.

"W–Why Kakashi–sensei?" she rasped and quickly cleared his throat.

"It hurts my feelings when you speak about me in such a disdainful way, Sakura–_chan_." Oh she should have known Kakashi would be close by! It was like saying his name was actually summoning him. He sat down on Tsuki's other side, giving her an eye crease, which they all knew to be a smile. "At least Tsuki–chan appreciates me."

Considering that he was getting on in his years, Kakashi was asked by Naruto to be one of his advisers, meaning he received very few missions. Sasuke was also an adviser, much to the previous elders' disliking. They had argued with him for months about his choice, saying that it was 'unwise' to give the Uchiha clan so much power. Naruto ignored them. Sakura had been made his personal medic and she also received very few missions. If Naruto was to leave Konoha, she would go with him as his medic. Those were pretty much all the missions she received nowadays but Sakura didn't mind that she rarely left the village. Watching her children growing up had to be one of the most wonderful things she had ever experienced and she was so very proud of them all.

The table was beginning to grow crowded, but none of them cared. This was the large family Sakura had always dreamed of and she was lucky to have them all with her, safe and alive. Misaki crawled onto Itachi's lap and sat down there, smiling brightly when he brushed the hair out of her eyes. Akio and Takeshi were arguing over who was the greater shinobi and uncle, Naruto or Sasuke. Tsuki and Kiyoshi were chatting to Naruto, who was grinning and nodding excitedly. As for Sasuke, he was talking with Kakashi, seeming to be displeased by something as he raised a dark eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed.

Sighing, Kakashi slipped his beloved book back into his pouch, much to Sasuke's amusement.

"Hinata is pregnant!" Naruto suddenly announced with a large smile on his face. "I'm going to be a dad again!"

"Poor kid." Sasuke muttered with a smirk.

"What was that?" the blond demanded, slapping his hand onto the table as he knelt up, glaring down at Sasuke. "More like a freaking lucky kid! What about you, huh? What happened to that woman… Uh…"

"Aya." Kiyoshi rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, her!" He smirked wickedly. "Haven't you knocked her up already?"

Sakura growled and her hand lashed out, gripping Naruto by the collar of his shirt and dragging him forward, giving a good shake or two as she glared viciously at him. "Idiot! Don't say stuff like that in front of my children otherwise I'll be giving them a demonstration on how to–"

A sheepish smile pulled at Naruto's lips as he quickly grabbed Sakura's wrists. "I'm sorry, Sakura–chan! It just slipped out, I swear."

Shoving him away, she sat back down beside her husband, ignoring the stunned, amused expressions her children were sending her. "Don't think that I'm not up to breaking my latest record for how far I can punch you."

Misaki watched her mother with an awed expression before looking up at Itachi, tugging on his shirt to grab his attention. "Can I be strong like mama?"

He smiled. "If you train hard, you may even surpass her one day."

Eyes widening with delight, Misaki practically trembled with excitement.

"Well," Kiyoshi stated as he got to his feet, soon followed by Tsuki, "we've got to go and meet Aki for training."

She liked that her children were on the same team as Ino's son. It was sad that the Ino–Shika–Cho formation had been broken, but what with Ino and Choji getting married and whatnot, it wasn't too surprising. That was probably why the elders of all three clans hadn't been too happy about the marriage in the beginning.

Once Tsuki and Kiyoshi left, Akio stood up and bit into the last bite of his breakfast. "Uncle Naruto, are you ready to be beaten by me and Arashi?"

Naruto smirked. "There's no chance of you beating me!" Also standing up, his smirk widened. "It's going to be fun beating you both into the ground."

Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head. Still a big kid!

"Uncle Sasuke?" Takeshi spoke up when Naruto and Akio left. "Can we start training now?"

There was a pause. "I need to speak with your parents first."

Her son, knowing Sasuke as well as he did, easily picked up on his mood and nodded seriously, picking up Misaki (even though she tried her best to stay with Itachi, clinging onto him until he chuckled and told her he would only be a moment) and carrying her out of the room to give the adults some privacy.

"What's up?" Sakura asked and leaned forward. Then, a bright smile graced her lips. "Is it about Aya–san? Have you proposed?"

Sasuke shook his head. "We broke up."

Wait, what?

"Why?" Itachi asked with a frown.

"I thought you really liked her?"

"_Liked_." he repeated. "Not love. Aya wants more. She wants to start a family and I don't feel the same way."

Kakashi sighed. "So you both decided to go your separate ways."

It wasn't a question. Hatake Kakashi had been in a similar position many times and even now, nearing his fifties, his mind had not changed. He was a loner, had been hurt too many times to risk opening his heart in such a way just for it to be broken again when something went wrong. Something _always_ went wrong. The last time he was in an official relationship, the woman had gone on a mission and was killed. There had also been Rin. Obito. Minato! He'd lost them all and there wasn't a chance he'd risk losing somebody else he cared for. It was bad enough how close he felt with team seven. If he lost them, after all the pain he'd already been through, Kakashi knew it would destroy him. It seemed, even though Sasuke hadn't experience loss in such a way, that he was also uneasy with opening up to people.

"…Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Sakura told him with a small, sympathetic smile. "I know how much you liked her."

Instead of replying, Sasuke shrugged. You can't force feelings that weren't there, after all. One day, Aya had been fine with simply hanging out or having sex, but then the next day she suddenly wanted to get married, wanted to have a family as large as Sakura and Itachi's! That just wasn't him. He didn't want that. Sure, having a large family was probably nice, but… Sasuke just couldn't see himself with one.

Every time Kiyoshi, Tsuki and Takeshi were sent on missions, Sakura would be on edge, she would be biting her nails and worrying like a parent should. Sasuke would even admit that _he_ worried about the kids, too. That was why he didn't want any of his own. Already he cared so much about the children already in his life and it would make his chest ache if something went wrong on one of their missions. What if it was his own children? He'd be devastated.

"So," Kakashi spoke conversationally, taking the attention away from a brooding Sasuke, "what exactly is the plan for tonight?"

Sakura brightened immediately.

"Well…"

* * *

Her back hit the wall and not even a second later, a hard body was pressed up against hers, drawing a gasp out of her when her legs wrapped around his hips, his growing erection grinding into her.

"Itachi," she breathed shakily, eyes fluttering closed at the hot open–mouthed kisses running up and down her neck, "we shouldn't be doing this! What about–"

Instead of answering her, Itachi moved his kisses to her mouth, silencing her half–hearted protests. To take away all other thoughts, he pressed his arousal more harshly against her whilst whispering heated words into her ear, "I need you, Sakura."

Like Itachi had been expecting, a gasp mixed with a whimper fell from her lips and Sakura's arms wound around him, trying to pull him even closer. "Where's Misaki?"

"She is with Ino–san and Akina–chan." he murmured, not even giving Sakura a chance to reply as he moved them away from the wall, only for her to yank him downwards and causing them to fall down onto the table. Luckily, due to her monstrous strength and tendency to break things, it was strong enough to hold their weight. "Shouldn't we–"

"Don't even talk about going all the way to the bedroom now!" Sakura groaned as her hands unbuttoned his pants impatiently, hips raising to his when Itachi undid the sash around her waist, effectively opening her yukata and revealing her body to him.

Even after carrying and giving birth to five children, she still looked beautiful to him. Life as a kunoichi meant Sakura had to work out every day to keep her body in shape, to keep fit and her reflexes sharp. So, her body was still toned and firm. Itachi wouldn't have cared even if it wasn't.

A moment later, he was sliding her underwear down her legs, once more kissing her neck and after throwing her underwear to the side, Itachi yanked her body closer to his, muffling her moan with his lips as he entered her. Sometimes, neither of them had the patience for foreplay. Yes the build up to that final moment was amazing but right now they didn't want the build up. They wanted the blissful, intense feeling of their releases hitting them at full force.

Even after all these years, they still craved each other, still craved the other's body.

At first Itachi's thrusts were slow and gentle, but it wasn't long until Sakura was gripping his hips, urging them to move more harshly. And he did so. Beneath them the table shook with the force of his hips slapping against hers and he had to place his elbows above Sakura's shoulders to stop her from moving upwards too much with each thrust.

He gazed down at her with heated eyes, eyes that only became more hungry at the sight beneath him. Itachi had always loved seeing Sakura in such a way. Right now, both her arms and legs were wrapped around him, trying to drag him impossibly closer, although one hand had slipped up and underneath his jonin sweatshirt, scratching his pale back. The position of her legs caused him to falter for a moment, as she was unknowingly pushing his pants further down until they were making movement difficult. Itachi ignored them and instead changed the angle of his thrusts, making Sakura throw her head back, a loud moan ripping out of her and her features contorting with pleasure.

Kisses were suddenly being brushed to different places on her face, starting from her jaw, making their way up to her chin, her burning cheeks, her nose, the seal on her forehead, until Itachi made his way back down to her lips, kissing her more heatedly, more passionately. And when they parted for air, he moved his open–mouthed kisses to her neck.

Fisting her hand in Itachi's hair, Sakura's back arched, her hips grinding up into his with his every thrust.

Sparks of pleasure shot up and down his spine, causing Itachi to grab her hip, leaning more onto the forearm resting above Sakura's shoulder. His thrusts slowed, but they were still just as forceful, just as rough. And going by the movements of Sakura's hips, he began grinding against her after each thrust.

It didn't take long to bring her to orgasm and with hers, came his.

Once they had slowly come down from their high, Itachi pressed his forehead to hers, smiling at the smile on her lips. "You know," she whispered, running her hand through his hair. Sakura couldn't remember when or how she had released it from it's tie, but apparently she had, "this is going to have to stop. What if one of the kids finds us in a position like this?"

She could remember all the times they _had_ been caught in the act. So far, it was around eleven times altogether. Once by Shisui. Four times by Naruto. Another four times by Sasuke. Twice by Kakashi. Oh wait, no they had been caught twelve times. Ino had caught them at it just the other month and afterwards, it had taken Sakura hours to shut Ino up. The blonde had been adamant about sharing tips and skills.

Reluctantly, Itachi pulled out of her and stood up, fixing his pants and watching with a smile as Sakura also stood up, trying to fix her yukata. Without saying a word he picked up the sash whilst she slipped on her underwear once more and the moment she was done, Itachi tied the sash around her waist.

"You are the only one who makes me lose all self–control." he murmured into her ear, brushing a final kiss there.

Her legs weakened. The words may have not seemed like much to anybody else, but having his lips and teeth grazing her earlobe, hearing his low and deep voice _right in her ear_…

"_Tadaima!_"

Sakura froze, looking up at Itachi with panicked eyes.

Shit. It was Takeshi. And he was around that age to receive _the talk_. Nope. Sakura was not ready for that! She was still mortified from when they had given Tsuki and Kiyoshi the talk. There was simply something utterly not right about discussing sex with your children, telling them what happens and about contraception and…

"I swear, Itachi…" She growled, glaring up at him and her annoyance only grew when she noticed his hair was flawless, his uniform neat and tidy. It looked like nothing had even happened between them. "How the hell do you do that?" Itachi smirked and smoothed down her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. She shook her head and growled once more. "If Takeshi asks about what just happened in here, _you're_ the one who will be giving him the talk!"

"It was going to happen either way." he told her, giving one last tug on her yukata before he was sitting at the table. The table they had _just had sex on_. "It was agreed that you would speak with our daughters and I will speak with our sons."

Was it strange that Itachi didn't find having the talk awkward at all? Yes, it was slightly uncomfortable explaining sex to your children, but at the end of the day, it was all natural and it was better to safely explain what happened instead of them going out and experimenting. He couldn't understand why Sakura disliked it so much – she was a medic!

By the time Takeshi reached the kitchen/dining room, his mother was scrubbing the table clean and his father was sitting peacefully, looking more relaxed than he had done earlier that morning. That was nice. Smiling, he took a seat opposite Itachi. It didn't go unnoticed by him or the older siblings that their father got a little… antisocial during this time. Okay, he became more antisocial than usual.

"I thought you were training with Sasuke, Takeshi?" Sakura asked and once she had cleaned the table, she moved over to the refrigerator, grabbing his favourite drink and passing it to Takeshi. He didn't like tea all that much, but around Sasuke, he would drink it like there was no tomorrow. Her former teammate never told her son that he was aware of that fact.

"He was called for a last–minute mission." the young boy pouted. "He went with Tsuki and Kiyoshi's team."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "Naruto sent them on a mission today, of all days?"

"It's only a half–day mission – they'll be back before tonight."

Oh. Well, at least she knew her children would be safe. Sasuke would never allow for any harm to come to them. Considering it had only just turned ten o'clock, that gave them eight hours to return for their surprise. They didn't have to be right on time, but she would prefer having them home early. Sasuke was in on the surprise, which was most likely (hopefully) why Naruto sent the Uchiha with his niece and nephew. To make sure they were home on time. But still! Sakura was pissed with Naruto. He was supposed to be taking the day off and training with not only her son, but also his own. Then again… He was Hokage now.

"Do you have any idea what their mission is?" she asked after a couple of minutes, handing Itachi a cup of tea. A moment later, she sat down beside her husband.

Takeshi was thoughtful for a moment, sipping his fizzy drink. "Uh… I think they're escorting a delegate to a meeting point."

She hoped with all her heart her children would be back on time.

Itachi glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye. If their children did not return on time, there was no doubt in his mind that they would be needing a new Hokage by the end of the night.

* * *

"_Tadaima!_"

Sakura smiled brightly as she heard her daughter's voice. They were home! "Get cleaned up, you two." she told them seriously, even though they hadn't even removed their shoes yet and she was still in the kitchen. "Naruto has arranged a dinner for you both and since he's Hokage, you need to be clean and looking formal. You have thirty minutes."

There was the sound of a sigh from both of them before they did as they were told.

Thankfully, they did not take after Sakura too much, as she enjoyed spending at least half an hour in the shower, whereas they quickly washed their bodies, cleaning off the grime and sweat that had built up from being pushed so hard to complete the mission (they loved their uncle Sasuke, really they did, but had there been any need to completely exhaust themselves trying to return home before it got dark?). There was a small feminine part of Sakura in Tsuki, as she spent a little longer washing her hair – although that could have been Itachi, too.

No, Sakura knew that it wasn't. His hair was naturally beautiful.

Whilst making a mental note to thank Sasuke for making sure they got home on time, she picked out outfits for the twins and placed them down neatly on each of their beds. It took her a little longer to choose something for Tsuki as the girl had way too many clothes, especially for someone who was so very much like a tomboy, but the moment she had, Sakura left Tsuki's bedroom and moved over to Kiyoshi's to do the exact same thing.

When the twins had been growing up, Sakura had enjoyed dressing them up in cute little outfits, although Itachi hadn't allowed her to have them wearing matching clothes. He kept saying something about them needing individuality. Whatever! Those outfits had been adorable and he knew it. Now, however, the twins were old enough to dress themselves… but damn, Sakura wanted them to stay her babies forever!

"Where are the others?" Kiyoshi asked as he stepped into the kitchen where his mother was waiting.

"Oh, they're meeting us there." Sakura told him with a smile, but that smile faltered when Tsuki stepped into the room. "Tsuki!" In a way, Tsuki was kind of like Ino – in the clothes department, of course. "You can't go to a formal dinner with your breasts on display. It isn't proper!" Kiyoshi groaned, turning his head in the other direction as their mother shot to her feet and stomped over to a wide–eyed Tsuki. "You don't need them out on display!"

Tsuki pouted, but allowed her mother to fix the kimono. "All the other girls–"

"You are not 'all the other girls'! You're Uchiha Tsuki." Sakura sighed in return.

Her pout grew more pronounced. "But you can't even tell that I have them!"

Can't tell that she had them? Was her daughter losing her sight? She was more or less the same size Ino and Hinata had been at that age! But… Maybe her daughter had self–image issues, like Sakura had growing up? Oh, she hoped not. More than anything she hoped Tsuki didn't have self–image issues.

"You have a much bigger chest than I did at your age." Their mother pushed aside her pride and once again, Kiyoshi groaned. He didn't want to hear this! However he knew better than to say anything. Their mother was terrifying when angry and Tsuki was no different. "I was always 'flat chested Haruno Sakura' growing up." Rolling her eyes, she gave one last tug on the kimono before straightening up. "Tsuki, you don't need to have your breasts on display for people to know they're there. You don't need them out at all! You're beautiful enough without them."

"When did yours start growing?"

Trust her daughter to just brush off her words. "When I was sixteen or seventeen, although they never really grew until I was pregnant with the both of you."

A frown pulled at Tsuki's features. "And father still–"

"No." Sakura cut her off, refusing to have that conversation. They had started off as friends with benefits after all and she refused to be the one to tell their children that. "If you want to know what your father thought, you should ask him."

"Fine, I will!"

* * *

They had been stunned when they arrived, much to everyone's amusement. Sakura had been smiling brightly, talking quickly and excitedly whilst their twins were walking behind her, giving an occasional sigh or shake of their heads.

But then they entered the large hall and had many people yelling "_surprise_!" at them. To stop it from seeming suspicious, at least half of the guests had been masking their chakra, so it would seem like only the family's friends. However when they entered, when the guests were yelling surprise, they had all revealed their chakra, almost scaring the life out of the twins.

Itachi was glad he had had his sharingan activated. The looks on their faces was something he didn't want to forget.

Misaki let go of her father and ran forward with a smile even brighter than their mother's, almost tackling Tsuki and Kiyoshi to the ground. "Happy birthday!"

She was definitely going to be as strong as their mother.

"Misaki–chan," Kiyoshi wheezed, trying to get back the breath that had literally been beaten out of him, "what have we told you about doing that?"

The three year old pouted and lowered her tear–filling eyes to the floor, sniffing once. "I only w–wanted to… to surprise you!"

Kiyoshi's eyes widened.

Tsuki rolled her eyes.

"Wait, don't cry, Misaki–chan!" the older brother exclaimed, pulling his youngest sister into a tight hug.

But then giggling reached his ears and glancing down at his sister, he saw that he had once again fallen for her tricks.

"You fell for it again, nii–san!"

He pouted childishly. "That's because if I'm not nice to you, father will beat me into next week."

Tsuki snorted. "No he wouldn't! He'd simply get you back in another way for her."

Genjutsu. And if it wasn't Itachi who got them back, it would be Shisui. Both of them secretly (or not–so–secretly) adored Misaki. To those two she could do no wrong. To those who fall victim to her tricks and pranks, however, she was like a demon–child. But of course their father did not believe that. She was a daddy's girl, after all.

And the suddenly alarming smile on Misaki's features told them both that she knew that, too.

"Pure evil." Kiyoshi muttered as their little sister ran back over to their father.

Tsuki nodded numbly in agreement, but then turned to face their mother. "You should have warned us." she told the older woman with a smirk. "We could have been having an extremely stressful day and the surprise–"

"Oh, be quiet." Sakura chuckled with a roll of her eyes. "You're too much like your father to have breakdowns. And if there's a chance that you _do_ have them, you'll act calmly and wait until you're alone. That's just how you Uchiha are!"

Green eyes glanced over at a laughing Misaki, watching as the young girl was lifted by Shisui. The moment their eyes connected, however, Kiyoshi could literally feel the colour draining out of him as yet another one of her alarming smiles was directed right at him. "Except for Misaki." he spoke quietly, quickly tearing his eyes from her. "She's way too much like you, mother."

There was a pause as Sakura watched Misaki being placed onto her feet, smiling sweetly up at Shisui, before she smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I'd say she's more like my mother. Although there are definitely parts of my temper in there, too."

Suddenly, Tsuki's eyes widened and she reached for the charm laying on her chest. "I never thanked you for this necklace." she murmured and smiled at Sakura as she pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for allowing me to have it."

It had been hard parting with the necklace, in all honesty, but Sakura believed that her daughter deserved it. When she heard that Itachi was planning on giving Kiyoshi the katana belonging to Fugaku, she had wanted to make sure her own father was somewhere in there, too. So Sakura had given Tsuki the necklace he had bought her. The shape of the pendant always reminded her of his hair.

"I thought you should have it." she said simply, giving her daughter one last squeeze before releasing her. "There will be more presents after the party from not only your guests, but also me and your father. He wanted to give you both the katana and necklace this morning, though."

Nodding, Tsuki glanced over her shoulder, looking over the guests before her eyes fell onto the last member of her team. Ino's eldest son, Aki.

Sakura smirked. "Go."

So she did.

Kiyoshi, not for the first time, groaned. "Tsuki's been acting really weird around Aki lately."

"Don't you like it?" Sakura asked as she turned to her son, giving him a questioning stare. "She's happy, isn't she?"

He pulled a face. "Yeah. And I'm happy for her, it's just weird. We grew up with Aki, didn't we? And now suddenly she's acting like a fan–girl around him. No, actually, not a fan–girl – please don't ever tell her I said that, she'll kill me." His features were pleading and Sakura chuckled, nodding. "It's… I don't know how to explain it. She does whatever she can to make him happy, even if she gets hurt in the process."

Love. Her daughter was falling in love!

Oh she just _had_ to tell Itachi!

"That is because your sister is a selfless person," she told Kiyoshi softly, watching Tsuki for a moment as the girl smiled up at Aki, her smile widening when he suddenly handed her a gift, "and she cares for her friends and family. Your team is like an extension of your family, Kiyoshi. You've seen how close team seven is. Not a day goes by that we don't see Sasuke or Naruto. Maybe not so much Kakashi–sensei, but he's always been that way and it wouldn't be him if he wasn't."

After a couple of moments, Kiyoshi nodded in agreement. He glanced over at Tsuki, scrutinizing her features to see if she was truly happy. She was. And that was good enough for him. "You're right." he murmured to his mother before turning to face her, grinning. "So do you want to tell father, or can I?"

Sakura smirked. "Why don't we mess with him? But I definitely want to be there when you break the news about your sister falling in love."

He returned her smirk.

* * *

His wife and eldest son were up to something.

Nobody would be standing so closely, they wouldn't be whispering to one another, if they were not up to something. Misaki was also suspicious as she narrowed her eyes at the pair.

"Daddy, what are they doing?"

His own eyes narrowed a fraction when both Sakura and Kiyoshi began smirking. It was definitely worrying. "I'm not sure, Misaki–chan."

She turned to face them, her eyes widening. "Can we play ninja?" she asked excitedly, gripping his shirt tightly.

Itachi chuckled and adjusted his hold on his daughter, lowering her to the ground on her feet. "First one to find out what they are planning, wins."

"The prize?" At his blank expression, she pouted. "There has to be a prize, daddy!"

"Of course." He paused for a moment, trying to think of a suitable prize for his daughter. She already had every toy she could ever want, so what else was there? But then he remembered an earlier conversation they had. "If you win, you may begin your training early," Her eyes widened almost dramatically, mouth falling open in shock and awe, "and I will be the one to teach you."

She was gone in a second.

* * *

"Oh no." Kiyoshi muttered, his eyes widening. "Misaki's coming!"

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "I wish you and your sister would stop acting like she is the spawn of the devil! Misaki is only three years old. Completely harmless!"

If only she knew. If only his poor, poor mother knew just how evil Misaki truly was. She was devious and knew how to get what she wanted. To makes things worse, she had their father on her side as well as Shisui. Hell, Kakashi too! Misaki could get away with pretty much anything. Of course, whenever Kiyoshi tried to warn his parents that he believed the devil may be inside his sister, they always scolded him for saying 'such hurtful things about his little sister'. Please. She _acted_ innocent around them! But soon, so very soon, they would all know how evil she was.

"Mama!" Misaki grinned when she finally reached them and not even a second later, she was in the woman's arms. "Why are you over here? Daddy's over there!"

"No reason, Misaki–chan." Sakura told her with a smile. "I'm speaking with your brother."

She pouted up at her and inwardly Kiyoshi sighed. This was the look that gave her everything she wanted. "Why?"

"Because it's my birthday?"

Sakura shot him a warning look at his sarcastic remark and whilst doing so, she didn't see the glare Misaki gave her brother.

What–

Just–

He gave up. How the hell could his mother not feel the dark waves pouring from the little demon–child in her arms?

"We're planning on teasing your father, Misaki–chan." Sakura murmured, giving Kiyoshi one last warning look before turning to face her daughter. "See over there?"

Narrowing her eyes a fraction, Misaki followed Sakura's line of sight. "Tsuki and Aki?"

"Mm–hm." she smirked. "Tsuki's in love!"

There was another pout when Misaki glanced back up at her mother. "Like how I love daddy?"

"No, no." Sakura smiled sheepishly whilst Kiyoshi choked on his drink. God, he wished his sister never loved their father the way Tsuki was falling in love with Aki. It was just plain wrong. "Like how _I_ love your father."

Misaki's eyes widened and she gasped. "Uncle Shisui said we're not allowed to love boys like that!

She couldn't help but chuckle. It sounded like something Shisui would say, especially to Misaki. Just as Sakura opened her mouth to speak, her daughter began to struggle against her hold, resulting in her being placed onto the ground once more. "What's wrong, Misaki?"

"Uncle Sasuke is here!"

And then she was running off, leaving Sakura and Kiyoshi to stand there in stunned silence before the former turned to face the latter once more. "Go and be with your friends, Kiyoshi. I'll wait until later to begin teasing your father."

* * *

Once she was out of sight, Misaki quickly ducked under one of the many tables, the white sheet hiding her from view due to it reaching to the ground. She loved playing ninja with her father! He always gave her tasks and even though Itachi had told her "first one to find out what they are planning, wins" she knew he wouldn't be attempting to gather information the way she had. No, Misaki knew what to do.

Three hundred and sixty–eight seconds later and she could feel her father's chakra spiking slightly to tell her he was there. Glancing at the sheet for a moment, she watched as his shadow drifted closer until all she could make out were his legs.

"Done." Misaki whispered, knowing to keep her voice low. "Mama and nii–san are going to tease you, daddy."

There was a pause. "Tease me_?_" he asked and on the other side of the sheet, Itachi was glancing down at the spread. His lips barely even moved as he asked, "About what?"

"Nee–san." the three year old whispered, before her voice became more excited. "Daddy! Tsuki broke uncle Shisui's rules. He said no falling in love with boys."

It was from years of experience that Itachi did not show how he was feeling on the outside, how he just about managed to stop from snapping the chopsticks he had just picked up. His daughter… in love? No. She was much too young. Okay, maybe not too young for love, but what if things became… sexual? Itachi had to hold back a growl. What was this strange feeling in his stomach? It felt like anger, but it feel much deeper than that.

"Who with, Misaki–chan?"

"Uh…" She thought for a moment, trying to remember who her older sister had been standing with. "Oh! Aki!"

Akimichi-Yamanaka Aki.

Itachi inwardly grimaced. It could be worse, he supposed. Aki was a decent enough boy and had impeccable manners, but was he the right kind of boy for his daughter? Right at that moment in time Itachi didn't think anybody would be good enough for Tsuki (he downright refused to think of Misaki ever falling in love – she was three years old, after all).

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi's eyes went straight to his son and daughter's team – team five. Kiyoshi was grinning, talking excitedly and nodding quickly. Tsuki was… He sighed. She was staring up at the blond stood opposite her with warm eyes, a slight blush sweeping across her cheeks at something that was said. Itachi could not see Aki's features, for he was facing the other way.

"Daddy?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at the table once more. "Yes, Misaki–chan?"

"This means I won."

There was no question, making Itachi chuckle. His youngest daughter had unrivalled confidence and she was only three. "It does. You can come out now."

She was out in a second, grinning up at him until Itachi picked his daughter up, shifting her to his side so that he could also pick up the plate he had been filling with food. Misaki's eyes brightened. Her favourite! Like her father, she had an obsession for dango. When Itachi was certain he had a hold on both his daughter and the plate, he made his way over to one of the sitting tables, taking a seat on the chair and keeping Misaki on his lap.

"Is Tsuki is trouble?"

Itachi looked down at his daughter whilst handing her a stick of dango. "No." Misaki frowned, obviously confused as she paused in eating her snack. "She is happy, Misaki–chan. You must never come in the way of another's happiness. It is unforgivable."

Taking a large bite, she stared over in the direction of team five. Her older sister _did_ look happy. Incredibly happy. "Why is she smiling like that? It's weird."

He chuckled, also noticing the large smile on Tsuki's features. It was a surprise she hadn't gotten cheek strain yet. In all honesty, it reminded him of the way Sakura smiled up at him when she was feeling happy. "…Because she is in love, Misaki–chan."

His daughter was in love.

* * *

It had been a month since the party now. Three weeks since team five was sent on a mission and a week since Takeshi's team went on a mission, too.

Once she had figured out that she would not be able to tease Itachi about they're daughter falling in love, Sakura had smiled and kissed his forehead, telling him that it was good he wasn't acting like a cliché, overprotective father.

Takeshi wasn't due home for another week or so, but team five were returning tonight if there were no problems during the mission. Sakura closed closed her eyes and released a slow exhale. Nothing was going to go wrong. They're mission was only b–rank, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous, anything could–

No.

She had to stop doing that to herself.

Instead, Sakura focused on getting Akio ready for the academy, which didn't take all that long to do and soon enough, she was kissing him goodbye before he all but burst out of their home, sprinting through the district. Moving over to the kitchen, she glanced around herself. It was so strange not having four of her five children at home, laughing and talking over breakfast. It was too quiet.

Thankfully, the moment breakfast was ready for those who were still at home, the sound of footsteps reached her ears and Sakura smiled, though shook her head with a chuckle when Itachi entered the kitchen, Misaki clinging onto his back with her arms wrapped around his neck.

At her questioning look, Itachi gave her a soft smirk. "Misaki–chan apparently needs to save her energy."

Misaki nodded quickly. "Akina–chan's mama is taking us to the fields today to pick some pretty flowers!"

Oh yeah. Ino had mentioned something about that. The blonde enjoyed taking Akina and Misaki to the fields they had grown up in, teaching them the very basics of womanly skills. It was pretty much the same as what they had learned in the first year of the academy. Sakura had been invited to go with them, but she had a hospital shift in the afternoon and was needed for a major operation.

"Make a bouquet for me, won't you?" Sakura smiled as Misaki slipped off of Itachi's back and took her place at the table, waiting patiently for her food.

"Yeah!"

Not even ten minutes after they had finished eating, Ino and Akina were knocking at the front door, walking in a second after knocking. Sakura sighed. Well, at least she was giving a warning knock this time.

"Forehead, I'm here to teach your daughter how to be a woman!"

Itachi tensed from his place at the table at Ino's announcement.

"Misaki is only three years old, pig." Sakura rolled her eyes, but handed Misaki her sandals anyway. Oh, she wasn't allowed to help her put them on, especially not in front of Akina. The girls were already beginning to become rivals. They tried to outdo each other in a lot of things. Even putting on their own shoes.

"You know what I mean." Ino groaned with annoyance, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm talking about what we had to learn back in the academy! All that stuff about needing to act like a lady." She then smirked, giving Sakura a sly look. "Since you're definitely not a lady, it's up to me to make sure my god daughter doesn't–"

A slam interrupted Ino, the blonde's eyes going wide as she quickly pulled Akina away from the door, the young girl barely missing being squashed into the wall.

"Oi, watch it! Akina was standing _right there_!"

It surprised them all when Tsuki and Kiyoshi entered, the former glaring viciously at them all before she was stomping out of the room and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Kiyoshi grimaced but just as he went to follow his twin, his mother stepped in front of him, folding her arms over her chest and staring him down and even though he was taller than her, she was much more intimidating at that moment in time.

He gulped.

"Explain. _Now_."

"Come on, girls." Ino told them, taking both of their hands. "It'd be best to leave them to talk in private."

Misaki looked torn as she stared in the direction Tsuki had gone in. "B–But Tsuki is upset!"

Standing from his seat, Itachi gave her a small smile. "Do not worry, Misaki–chan. I will speak with her."

She gave him a serious look, her childlike features growing angry. It startled him how much she looked like Sakura with that expression. "They got in the way of her happiness!" He blinked in surprise, making Misaki growl. "You said at the party, daddy! It's wrong to get in the way of people's happiness!"

"When you return, we shall deal with that person together." He gave her a serious look as well, which relaxed Misaki greatly. "Go and enjoy your day, Misaki–chan. By the time you come home, I will have found out who upset your sister."

Kiyoshi shuddered.

Having an extremely powerful father and a demon–child for a sister was terrifying, but when they teamed up?

"C'mon, daddy's girl." the blonde woman grinned teasingly, pulling Misaki along. "We'll find some of the best flowers for Tsuki, okay? That'll cheer her up."

They could still hear Misaki speaking excitedly about which flowers to pick even when the door had shut and they walked away.

"Itachi, can you please go and get Tsuki?"

He frowned in response. "Would it not be best if you went to her?"

Sakura shook her head and narrowed her eyes on Kiyoshi. "No, we're going to talk about this together."

"Father, please go and get Tsuki." Kiyoshi practically begged, his eyes wide with fear. "Mother has her fighting face on."

Even though now was not the time, Itachi couldn't help but shake his head and smirk before going to retrieve his daughter.

Ten minutes and a lot of shouting later and Tsuki was being carried out of her bedroom. Unlike when Itachi had been carrying Misaki, however, Tsuki was slung over his shoulder and he didn't even seem to feel it as she beat his back with her fists, yelling at him to put her down and leave her alone. On the inside, Sakura was aching, not only because she knew it was hurting Itachi having his daughter react in such a way to him, but also because there so was much anger and hatred in their daughter's voice…

When he came to a stop, he sighed, seeming almost bored. "Are you done acting like a child, Tsuki?"

"Just put me down." She growled before yelling, "_Now_!"

"Don't speak to your father like that!" Sakura snapped at her. "We want to know just what the hell happened to put you in this foul mood. Don't go taking it out on him, do you understand me?"

And just like that, Tsuki fell silent and stopped punching Itachi's back, allowing him to put her down without risking her being hurt due to her struggling. When the dark haired teen looked up, her eyes were red–rimmed, her cheeks were stained with tears and her button–like nose was also red, making it obvious she had been crying. Tsuki sat down quickly and lowered her head so that her bangs shielded her eyes and not even a moment later, Kiyoshi was by her side, silently offering his comfort.

Growing up, the twins had been inseparable and it was because of this, because of how in–sync they were, that they had been allowed to be on the same team. Usually siblings were split up and put on different teams, but Sakura had pulled a few strings with their Hokage. Okay, so she had threatened him with violence, but so what? It was nothing new to Naruto. In fact, he had apparently been planning on putting them on the same team anyway, since he had seen them fight together.

Once Itachi and Sakura took their places at the table, the former narrowed his eyes. "Explain what happened."

"We were on a mission." Kiyoshi told his parents quietly. "It was to protect a woman from a prestigious, civilian clan whilst taking her to a village on the outskirts of Iwa. She…" He sighed, glancing down at the quiet Tsuki by his side, her head lowered and face trying its best not to scrunch up. It reminded Itachi of when Sakura was about to cry, when she was trying to hold back her tears. "It was an arranged marriage. Tsuki and the woman didn't see eye–to–eye and kept arguing – she was bitter about being sold off to another clan, I believe. But she said something to Tsuki and since then…"

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously but she forced herself to stay calm as she reached out across the table and gently placed her hand over Tsuki's. "What did she say?"

For a second, Tsuki's lower lip trembled and it honestly pained Itachi. "She said… said that I should be expecting the same thing soon, since I'm not the heir to our clan, since I'm not as important as Kiyoshi." Tears filled her eyes. "She said you're going to send me away like her parents did to her – an arranged marriage!"

When she sobbed once, Kiyoshi turned to the side and wrapped his arms around his younger sister, looking over her shoulder to continue speaking. "I tried telling Tsuki that you weren't going to do that to her, that she's just as important as I am, but she won't listen to me!"

"Tsuki…" Sakura sighed, lowering her eyes to the table.

"Tsuki, look at me." At her father's softer than usual voice, Tsuki slowly lifted her head from Kiyoshi's shoulder, glancing up at Itachi with bloodshot eyes. "We will never force you into anything you don't want to do or be a part of. Even if your opinion is not the same as ours, we will respect it and never judge you. Do not believe what your client's daughter told you. There are no favourites in this family and there never will be."

Looking back up, Sakura gave her daughter a small smile. "Your uncle Sasuke once felt this way too, you know." she told her quietly. "He often felt inferior to your father, what with him being the younger sibling."

She sniffed. "W–What did he do?"

"Nothing." Sakura smiled softly. "Sasuke loves your father, his older brother and he never let those feelings, that favouritism, get in between them. Your grandfather often put your father before your uncle, but your grandmother put Sasuke before your father. Know that we will never do that to any of you. It's because of the way they were brought up that your uncle and father want better for you all. They changed the clan's ways, Tsuki. No more arranged marriages."

"Your mother and I came close to losing each other." Itachi murmured after a moment of silence. "My father, your grandfather, did not approve of our relationship, did not believe your mother would be able to handle the responsibility of being matriarch–"

"That's stupid!" Kiyoshi exclaimed in a rare show of anger – proving that he was definitely Sakura's son. "Mother is more than capable of such a duty!"

Itachi inwardly smiled. He had always hoped his children would think highly of their mother, would love her no matter what. They even loved her bursts of anger, the defiance and the stubbornness. Their mother was most definitely no pushover. She couldn't afford to be, what with raising five children, being matriarch of the Uchiha clan and also the Rokudaime Hokage's personal medic. They loved how others feared angering her.

"So… So I get to marry whoever I want?" Tsuki asked hesitantly, fighting back the hope in her eyes.

They all saw it. "Yes, although we wish to meet that person first."

Sakura smirked up at her husband. "We've already met him, Itachi!"

A fierce blush swept over Tsuki's cheeks and it only increased when Kiyoshi smirked down at her.

"Tsuki–chan," Sakura teased with a lilt in her voice, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, "when were you going to tell us about you and Aki–kun?"

The blush once again deepened.

* * *

"Daddy!" Misaki yelled for him, waiting by the door and holding the straps of the pack resting on her back tightly. It was Kiyoshi's backpack, but that didn't matter to her. "We leave tonight!"

Stepping out of the kitchen and holding a cup of tea in his hand, Itachi stared down at his daughter for a moment in confusion. "Why, Misaki–chan?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "No jokes, daddy! We're being real shinobi now and we need to find the bad guy who upset nee–san!"

Oh. _Oh!_ Now Itachi remembered. He had promised his youngest daughter that once he found out who upset Tsuki, they would seek vengeance on the foolish individual. His features suddenly became blank, serious. It was his no–nonsense look and noticing it had his daughter straightening up, had her watching him intently whilst waiting for her orders. "It was Naruto–kun, Misaki–chan. He is the one who upset your sister."

And then there was the flash in her eyes, the one that reminded him so very much of her mother. "We'll make him pay! Mama! We need to go and beat up uncle Naruto!"

"That's fine by me," she stated, stepping out of the kitchen and drying her hands on a tea towel, "but may I ask why?"

"He upset Tsuki!" the little girl cried with annoyance. "And he's scared of you! If you're there, uncle Naruto will be too scared to see me coming and then _bam_," She smacked her fist into her other hand, "I take him down!"

Noticing the 'just go with it' look from Itachi, Sakura nodded (since neither of them particularly wanted to go into detail about arranged marriages and whatnot with their daughter, surely Naruto wouldn't mind taking an uncalled for beating?) and her face set into a serious mask. "That's a great plan and all, but what if your uncle Sasuke and Kakashi–sensei are there? They're supposed to protect the Hokage as well as work as his advisers."

For a moment, Misaki seemed in deep thought before she smirked wickedly. "Daddy can take them both! Nobody can beat him!" Sakura opened her mouth, about to argue, but her daughter's eyes narrowed dangerously. "_Nobody can beat daddy_."

It was at that moment that she saw what frightened Kiyoshi so much.

Oh no. Her daughter was a miniature version of herself.

* * *

The reaction from Naruto had been downright hilarious in Sakura's opinion. Whilst she had glared angrily at him, he had made the mistake of thinking that, if he was holding Misaki, the pink haired mother would not lash out and hit him. Oh the shock on his face when Misaki's fist lashed out and hit him had been amusing, although Sakura made a mental note to work on her daughter's punches.

Also, at dinner, they had received some amazing news. Takeshi returned home early from his mission! He had been utterly exhausted and all but collapsed into his place at the table, but once he had eaten a home cooked meal he soon perked up.

And now, as Sakura switched off the bathroom light and entered the bedroom she shared with Itachi, she smiled nervously, slipping onto the bed and sitting on his lap. He lowered the book he had been reading and looked at her questioningly.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"You're…?"

Sakura nodded quickly, smiling sheepishly once more. The past month had been a mixture of different emotions for her and finally, whilst in the shower, she had decided to examine herself with healing chakra. Her suspicions had been correct. She was pregnant again.

Itachi closed his book and dropped it onto the bed, sitting up straighter. One of his hands slipped around his wife and held onto her lower back gently, making sure she didn't fall off his lap (she didn't tell him that it was _extremely_ unnecessary – he was always overprotective now when she was pregnant because of what happened during her pregnancy with the twins) whilst the other was placed onto her stomach.

"How far along?"

"Just over a month."

He smiled.

Her eyes narrowed. "This is the last time, though!" she snapped, glaring at him suddenly. "I mean it, Itachi. And Tsunade–shishou is going to kill me!" Her shishou had left the village once Naruto became Hokage and was once again travelling the world, although she came back every now and then to see how things were going and to see her godchildren. "You know what she's like, she'll want to be here to make sure that the pregnancy goes well and whatever."

Itachi chuckled and wrapped his arms around Sakura, lowering her onto her back and silencing her with his lips.

That night, he made love to his wife, thanking her with his actions for being the woman she was. The amazing, terrifying woman who was an amazing, terrifying mother.

He was so very proud of his family. Of Sakura.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**A/N – And it's finally over! I'm not entirely happy with this chapter because I was stuck on it for so long. Parts of it just seem forced to me, but I'm happy with how this story turned out altogether. I hope this was the kind of ending you all wanted!**

**Oh! And keep an eye out for my other ItaSaku stories! Some are almost half finished so I'll be posting them soon. Also, somebody suggested writing a fanfic of what happened between Sakura and Kakashi in this story, only make it a KakaSaku fanfiction instead. I promise I'll try my best! I've started writing it.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


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